The End
by Rocky2e
Summary: Frank and Claire concoct an elaborate plan to ensure their longevity in the White House. Follow-up to "The Interview" "The Fallout" and "The Aftermath." Includes very minor spoilers for season five and six. F/C with Emily.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hi, it's me again. Welcome...or should I say welcome back! If you haven't read any of my previous fics (_The Interview, The Aftermath _and _The Fallout_) I would recommend doing so otherwise you might be a little lost. I'm going to be honest, some of you will love this and some of you will think I've lost my mind. All I ask is you give this a chance. There will be some elements of seasons five and six in here (not too many for obvious reasons.) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any characters (besides Emily) related to _House of Cards_. Any and all similarities to other author's works are purely coincidental.

**Chapter One **

"Francis? Could you hand me that towel?" Claire Underwood asks her husband when she sees a sliver of him walking by. Frank pauses his brisk pace and retreats, spotting his wife hunched over the toilet. He pushes the door of the bathroom open and reaches for the eggshell-colored towel looped through the ring, passing it over to Claire. She dabs her mouth and sets the towel on the counter. Her long fingers curl around the sink, waiting for the lightheadedness to pass.

"Is it bad?" Frank asks in his low Southern drawl. Claire nods and briefly closes her eyes. His fingertips drum up her spine, watching his wife with veiled sympathy while she dry heaves into the sink.

"Is Emily home yet?" Her voice comes out husky, fatigued. She's been throwing up off and on for the past hour. Her daughter is due home from school any moment and Claire would rather not have Emily witness her mother vomiting.

"I'm going to get her right now. I just wanted to check on you first. She should know, Claire." Frank's cognac eyes drop knowingly before meeting her cerulean ones.

"Fine. I'll be here when you two get back." Frank steps forward to kiss her and then withdraws when he remembers she hasn't brushed her teeth.

"Hey Daddy!" Emily exclaims as she barrels into the presidential motorcade. The five-year-old drops her backpack next to her on the leather seat.

"Hey Em, how was school?" Frank asks, setting his marked-up speech aside. He enjoys the snippets of time he spends with his daughter. Between him being president and Claire as the vice president, they have to divide their attention accordingly.

"It was good! I learned about animals. Is Mommy feeling any better?" Emily asks, her blue eyes wide with concern. Frank shakes his head.

"Not yet...but she's at home." Frank has been in charge of drop-off with Emily for the past few days while Claire stays at the White House. Even though it's been nearly a year since Emily's kidnapping, Frank and Claire are still hesitant to fully trust Secret Service with their daughter again.

By the time Frank and Emily return to the residence, Claire is curled up on the couch with her laptop. Emily scampers over to her mother, excited to show her the drawing she made at school.

"This is for you, Mommy since you not feeling good." Emily hands her the paper and sits across from her mother on the opposite couch.

Frank sits next to Claire, putting his hand on her knee. Claire gives him a nod, signaling she's ready.

"Emily, there's something we wanted to talk to you about," Claire begins. She isn't sure what to say or the correct way to say it. However, she would rather tell their daughter before she hears it from someone else.

Emily's eyes flicker from Frank to Claire as the seriousness of her mother's tone sets in. The little girl stops fidgeting with the tassels on the pillow next to her.

"What's going on? Are we leavin' the White House?" Emily asks. Frank furrows his eyebrows, wondering why that's the first question out of his daughter's mouth.

"No... we still have our jobs at the White House. Remember about a year ago when you wanted Daddy and I to have another baby?" Emily nods eagerly and then abruptly stops.

"Yeah, but you tell me that you and Daddy are too old." Claire manages a tiny grin at her daughter's phrasing.

"Well, we were wrong. You are getting another sibling," Frank tells his daughter. Claire involuntarily sucks in a breath as she waits for Emily's reaction. The little girl starts glancing around the room, lifting up the throw pillows littering the couch.

"Emily, what are you doing?" Claire asks. Emily lifts herself to look on the other side of the piece of furniture.

"Where is it?" Emily asks. Frank and Claire look at each other with confusion.

"Where's what, Em?" Frank asks. Emily sits back on the couch, her arms crossed.

"The baby, Daddy." Her blunt tone matches her mother's frighteningly well. Claire chokes back a laugh at their daughter's understanding of the situation. They are going to have to explain this more than they previously thought.

"The baby isn't here yet. I'm pregnant, which means the baby grows inside of my...stomach first before it's...born." Claire fumbles through her response. She would rather be thrown into a political debate unprepared than explain the mechanics of childbirth to her daughter.

Frank wonders if their daughter will fully grasp this concept or if she's still too little. Emily nods slowly, letting what her mother explain to her sink in.

"When will she be here?" Emily asks. Her eyes shift down to her mother's flat abdomen, not registering any change. Frank and Claire notice Emily's already assigned a gender to their unborn child. They won't bother to correct her yet. This is all too fresh for the five-year-old.

"Probably around Christmas," Claire says. Emily sighs heavily.

"I have to wait _that long?_" Frank lets out a tiny chuckle at their daughter's dramatics.

"Yes. We have to make sure the baby is healthy first. And Em, we don't want anyone to know about this just yet. We have to keep this a secret between us three for a little while." Frank and Claire have a plan as to how they want to unveil her pregnancy to the public. The last thing they need is Emily blabbing to one of her friends at school and it getting out to the media.

"Okay, I not tell anyone," Emily promises with a hint of disappointment.

"Not even Ian," Claire mentions, knowing her daughter would most likely tell the boy she has a crush on. Emily avoids her mother's eyes and gives a half-nod. "Emily Claire, this is important."

Emily's eyes widen at her mother using her full name. The five-year-old makes sure her parents can see her agree to their secret.

"Mommy and Daddy?" Emily asks. Claire gestures for Frank to field their daughter's question. She's already tackled the majority of the explanation.

"Yes, Em?" Frank asks.

"How did this happen?"

"_Is something wrong?" Frank asks one night when he sees Claire perched on the windowsill, smoking a cigarette without him. They've just moved beyond Claire's cancer scare and he's afraid something else has come up._

"_I can't get support for my maternity leave legislation. It's stalled in the House." Claire takes a drag of the cigarette and hands it to her husband. She's at a loss as to how to proceed and needs her husband's expertise._

"_I can make a few calls, but I told you this was going to be an uphill battle." When Frank first proposed the idea, he did so knowing the current political landscape. He hands the cigarette back to his wife. Claire holds in front of her face without pressing it to her lips. He can tell by the slight tilt of her head she's developing an idea. "What?" _

"_Francis, we aren't going to get the support we need unless they see it." _

"_See what?" Frank accepts the cigarette back from Claire. She pauses to assemble her thoughts. _

"_What if we gave them a real example of what paid maternity leave looks like?" _

"_How would we do that?" Frank asks. He has a terrible feeling where this conversation is headed. Claire glances at him and inhales the cigarette deeply. "You don't mean…oh, come on, Claire!" _

_Frank hops off the windowsill just as Claire motions towards Emily's room. Their daughter just went to bed, she could easily wake up to the sound of her parents arguing. _

"_Francis, this could secure my nomination." _

"_It could also get you killed!" _

"_Keep your voice _down._" Frank balls his hand into a fist and slowly exhales a breath. _

"_Putting aside the fact that I've told you time and time again that I don't want a second child, do you know how dangerous this could be? Or impossible?" _

_Claire is in her early fifties and Frank is closer to sixty. The chances of them even getting pregnant are astronomically slim._

"_I have thought this through—"_

"_Oh I doubt that, or you would realize how insane this idea sounds." Claire glares at Frank, not appreciating his dismissal. Normally, her husband would be the first one on board with a radical idea, if he's not proposing it himself. _

"_Francis, if we don't come up with something, the only way I'm going to be president is if you resign." Despite everything the Underwoods have done–including having Emily—their continuing to decline in the polls with Claire doing only slightly better than Frank. They rigged the election for Frank once, there's not a chance they could do it successfully for Claire without getting caught._

"_Then I will resign. I'm not letting you kill yourself to have a child that neither of us want." _

"_What if I did?" Frank looks at her in utter disbelief. She's said previously the idea of having a second child was unrealistic and fleeting. It angers him to see her attempting to backtrack._

"_Jesus." Claire puts out the cigarette, effectively ending their conversation. She isn't going to beg him to do this with her, but she's not going to let this go. _

"_Think about it, Francis." Frank shakes his head and starts walking towards his bedroom. _

"_It's not going to happen, Claire." Claire frowns at the door slamming as she reaches down to light another cigarette. She's confident she can persuade him to change his mind. It's just going to take some time._

"Well...it took some convincing on your dad's part," Claire says with a smirk.

_A week later, Frank has finally calmed down enough to discuss Claire's idea. Ever since their conversation-turned-argument on the windowsill, they've barely spoken to each other. He knows how stubborn his wife can be, especially if she has her mind set on something. _

"_Time for bed, Emily." Claire announces. She looks up from her laptop, noticing her daughter's movie just ended. Emily frowns, but shuts off her iPad to avoid getting in trouble. _

"_Goodnight, Daddy," Emily says to her father. Frank quickly hugs her goodnight and watches his wife trail behind Emily to her bedroom. He's debating heading back to the Oval like he's done every night for the past week. There's an awkward silence hanging between them that neither of them has addressed. _

_Claire returns to the living room, surprised to see her husband still sitting on the couch. She sits beside him, setting her laptop in between them._

"_Francis—"_

"_I can't lose you, Claire." He says quickly, probably without realizing he's said it. _

"_What?" _

"_If we do this, I can't lose you because of it." Claire reaches over, putting her hand over his. _

"_I promise you; I won't make you choose. I won't sacrifice my life to save our child's." Claire isn't going to be a martyr in this situation. She would do anything for Emily, but this is different._

"_This is for your presidency, not our family. You have to be able to walk away from this at any time." Her husband is right. The chances of a second child coming to fruition are slim. For this to work, she needs to treat this child as expendable. _

"_Okay." _

"_Okay."_

"We ended up going to the doctor because we are older. We had to make sure your mom would be safe," Frank adds in. They want to keep their explanations to Emily as high-level as possible rather than going into details their five-year-old can't comprehend.

"_Claire, I have to admit I'm surprised to see you again," Dr. Larsen says as Claire steps into her office. Shortly after Peter Russo died, Claire visited Dr. Larsen's office after entertaining the possibility of having another child. It also served as a way to figure out information to use against Gillian Cole, a former employee who sued Claire for wrongful termination. "How's Emily?" _

"_Good, she's almost five. She looks like me, acts like Francis." The two women share a laugh and then turn more serious. _

"_So, why are you here four years later?" Dr. Larsen asks. Claire clears her throat and does a precautionary look around the office. She doesn't want any information being leaked out into the media._

"_I want another child. I know it's going to be difficult because of our age, but I want to try." A frown curls Dr. Larsen's lips. When Claire came to her four years ago, she articulated how hard conceiving would be. Now, it's nearly impossible to do what Claire is asking. _

"_Okay, have you and your husband talked about this? There are options and we've had this conversation before…I just want to reiterate how difficult this is going to be. The chances of conceiving at your age—" _

"_I know. I've done a lot of research and I'm not expecting it to happen naturally." Claire is frighteningly aware of what it means to have a baby in her fifties. Dr. Larsen sighs, she's dealt with Claire before and the easiest way is to do what she's asking. _

"_Alright. There are certain tests we can run and then we can proceed from there. Claire, you do realize how dangerous this can be, right?" Dr. Larsen would be remiss if she didn't fully prepare Claire._

"_Yes. My husband and I want to try this, just once." As part of their deal, Claire and Frank agreed to do whatever tests, medications and procedures necessary only once. If it doesn't work, then they won't waste their time and money trying again. _

"_Alright. Have your office call mine and we can start the process." Claire scoops up her purse resting on the chair beside her and stands up, shaking Dr. Larsen's hand._

"What did the doctor do?" Emily asks. She's intrigued by what her parents are relaying to her and excited about the idea of another sibling. Claire's eyes shift over to Frank's silently asking him how they are going to explain the process to their daughter.

"Well...I had to take some medicine and then have...surgery to make sure I got pregnant," Claire explains. She expected the onslaught of questions from their curious daughter but doesn't know how to efficiently answer them.

_As per doctor's instructions, Claire has to inject herself with fertility medication to prepare her body for the insemination. She's having more of a difficult time than she thought injecting herself twice a day. _

"_Claire?" Frank asks while knocking on the other side of the bathroom door. Claire doesn't hear Frank come in because she is too distracted by the needle. "What are you doing?" His wife jumps and the needle falls onto the floor._

"_I have to inject myself—" Claire trails off to pick up the syringe on the floor. "Did you need something?" She doesn't need her husband to watch her struggle with the fertility drugs._

"_I was wondering if you were coming to eat. Here, give me that." Frank steps forward, taking the needle out of Claire's hands. "Turn around." Claire spins so her back is facing her husband, hiking up her skirt in the process. She's astonished he's willing to do this for her, given how mildly supportive he's been throughout this whole ordeal. _

"_Do it." Claire instructs, flinching slightly when the needle plunges under her skin. "Thank you." Frank takes out the needle from Claire's butt and throws it in the garbage. _

"_When is the procedure?" Frank asks as they are walking towards the living room. Emily is already situated at the table, playing with her iPad while waiting for her parents._

"_A week from tomorrow." There's a beat of silence, enough for Claire to surmise her husband's question. "You don't have to come." _

"How did you know?" Emily asks. Her parents furrow their eyebrows.

"Know what, Em?" Frank asks.

"That it works! That Mommy was...preg...that 'p word'?" Claire smiles at her daughter attempting to articulate her thoughts.

"Well, we did a test and the doctor told us," Frank says.

"_When are they supposed to call you?" Frank asks while he and Claire are in the Oval. It's been two weeks since the insemination, and Claire went back to the doctor's office yesterday to do a formal blood test. _

"_Today...hopefully." It wouldn't devastate Claire if she wasn't pregnant. Sure, she wants a second child, but she can accept a negative result. _

_During a meeting with their Labor Secretary, Claire's cell phone vibrates in her lap. She quietly excuses herself from the room, knowing her husband wouldn't question it. _

"_Hello...yes this is Claire Underwood," Claire says into the phone. _

"_Hi Mrs. Underwood, is this a good time to talk?" A lady–who Claire presumes is one of Dr. Larsen's nurses—asks. _

"_Yes, now is fine. What are the results?" _

"_Well...your blood work is positive. Congratulations, you are pregnant. Dr. Larsen would like to see you next week for your first official appointment." Claire breathes a sigh of relief. _

"_Thank you, I'll have my office call yours later." Claire hangs up the phone and slips back into the room._

_Frank glances up when his wife sits down next to him. Her face is completely neutral. _

"_That'll be all for now. We can follow up on this issue next week," Frank says, excusing everyone out of the room. Claire and Frank watch them leave, wanting to be sure it's only them in the room before they have their conversation._

"_So?" Frank asks._

"_It's positive. I'm pregnant." Claire steps into his awaiting hug, grinning at his reaction. She was anticipating him being upset or ambivalent about the news. They separate as Frank brushes a kiss to her cheek. _

"_Claire?" Frank asks right before his wife reaches the door to his office._

"_What?" _

"_I love you." A smile ignites Claire's lips._

"_I love you too, Francis." _

"This is going to be a big year for us, Emily," Claire tells her daughter. Emily nods, excited for what's to come. "I'm going to lie down. We can talk more about this later if you want."

"Did you eat something?" Frank asks his wife. Based on how pale she is, he's guessing she's only managed a few bites here and there due to her morning sickness.

"Not since breakfast. I'll have the chef cook us dinner." Claire slowly stands up and walks into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Emily and Frank are left in the living room, each waiting for the other to speak. Frank wonders how Emily will truly handle having another sibling. The _thought _of a brother or sister is exciting, but actually having one could mean a different thing entirely for the five-year-old.

"Daddy?" Emily asks.

"Yes, Em?" Frank is trying to be patient when it comes to answering all of Emily's questions. He comprehends how new this is for his little girl and doesn't want her to feel as if she can't come to him or Claire with concerns.

"Will she sleep with me?"

"No, it will sleep with your mom and I for a little bit before moving into another room."

"She's not an 'it,' Daddy." Frank sighs. His daughter is insistent on the baby being a girl, but that might not be the case.

"Em, the baby might be a boy." Emily looks positively aghast at the notion.

"No way. I need a sister."

"We didn't get to choose with you, and we won't with this baby. That's how it works." Emily frowns. Frank stands up and grabs his blazer off the couch. He wants to give Emily time to digest everything. "I'm going back to the Oval. I'll see you at dinner. Get your homework done."

"Okay," Emily nods and accepts a kiss from her father.

After dinner and Emily's put to bed, Claire sits next to Frank on the windowsill while he smokes. He briefly passes it to her and then remembers she can't join him.

"Don't tempt me," Claire says. Frank laughs as the smoke filters out of his mouth.

"How do you think Emily is taking this?"

"She's excited. I worry she's going to get _too _excited." Frank nods in understanding. There's a high chance Claire will miscarry, or the baby will be too unhealthy to bring to term. They are cognizant of that, but there's no need for Emily to be.

"We can prepare her for the worst if it comes. Now that she knows, we don't have much time before everyone else knows." They have little confidence in their daughter to keep their secret. "I think we should loop in Seth and Doug, Claire."

"I agree. We are going to need to frame this in a certain way." Claire's entire idea hinges on how well the public takes her pregnancy. This could all be for nothing if they refuse to accept it and her maternity leave proposal.

Claire leans back against the windowsill and closes her eyes. Her hand reaches up to rest on her stomach. Frank takes a final drag of the cigarette and lets it fall into the cup of water below.

"I really want this to work, Francis," Claire softly admits.

"I know you do." Frank doesn't ask her to elaborate on whether she means the bill or the baby, he assumes both.

"Is the Vice President joining us?" Doug asks. After talking to Claire last night, Frank set up a meeting with them, Seth and Doug for suggestions on how to roll out the pregnancy to the media.

"She will be here in a moment," Frank says. He wants to wait until she's here to announce the purpose of this meeting. Doug, Seth and Frank look up as Claire walks into the room. Frank can tell by the hue of her skin she just got done throwing up. Her morning sickness is far worse this time than it was with Emily.

"Mrs. Underwood are you feeling okay?" Seth asks. Claire sits behind Frank where his picture frames are. She gives him a clipped nod while trying to focus on anything but the smell of her husband's cold coffee idling on the desk.

"Francis, can you—?" Claire motions to the coffee. Frank gets up and grabs the mug, setting it as far away from his wife as possible.

"Are you—?" Doug asks Claire, stopping when she nods.

"Nobody knows yet, and we want to keep it that way for a while," Frank says for the both of them.

"We want this to coincide with the announcement of my maternity leave bill so one can help the other," Claire explains.

"Is that the reason you are pregnant?" Doug asks.

"Yes," Claire states. She figures Doug of all people would appreciate the strategy behind this.

"People will connect the dots just like Doug did and assume because of your age that the bill is the _only _reason you are having this baby," Seth adds in.

"Okay, but do we let them?" Frank asks.

"It depends. What hurts you is your interview you did with Ashleigh Banfield almost three years ago. It's hard to believe that someone in their fifties with 'two previous miscarriages' all of the sudden ends up pregnant," Seth explains. "And you went on record saying that Emily is the only child you are going to have. Obviously, that's no longer the case."

Frank forgot about the interview Claire gave to CNN when Emily was two. Even if the past miscarriages aren't true, the public believes they are. It's going to make Claire's pregnancy even harder to sell.

"What do you suggest we do?" Claire asks.

"The conservatives are going to play that clip from your interview as soon as you announce, which is to be expected. I think you need to project this in the most honest way possible," Seth says. "Say that you changed your mind and wanted to give Emily a sibling. You kept trying to get pregnant but had to go to a doctor who helped you. Women—especially older women–will relate to your struggle and you can capitalize on that."

"And the bill?" Frank asks.

"That's where it's going to get a little tricky. I would let the public digest the news first and then slowly introduce the maternity bill. If you put all of that out there at once, it's going to look too staged. It's better to wait and make the bill as part of your narrative," Doug adds in.

"What do you think, Francis?" Claire asks. Frank bites his lip while he leans back in his chair.

"I like the idea," Frank says.

"Congratulations, Mr. President, Mrs. Vice President," Seth says. Doug nods in agreement.

"Thank you. I'd like to hear your suggestions as to the best way to announce. I think a press conference might be too…" Claire pauses, searching for the right word, "contrived."

"Agreed. I'll start looking at options. Maybe a formal interview or event. And I suggest waiting a few weeks, maybe until you are showing," Seth says as he gathers up his belongings. Doug excuses himself as well, figuring Frank and Claire want to talk privately.

"Seth might be right in holding off. You can barely keep food down for more than an hour," Frank tells his wife. He swivels to get a better vantage point on her.

"I agree. There should be something for them to see." A smirk slides across Claire's lips at the thought of the public's reaction when they officially announce. Claire carefully hops off the ledge and crosses the room.

"You know Claire, I cannot guarantee all of this is going to succeed," Frank says. Claire glances over her shoulder to look at him.

"I know. I feel like I should be saying that to you." He stands up, walks over to her and places his hands on her shoulders. She sets her hands on his chest. "I know you have your reservations about this—"

"You are doing what you think is best. I won't fault you for that." He's letting her take the lead since this is her plan. However, she has to understand that if it backfires, the fallout will be aimed more towards her than him. She presses a kiss to his lips and steps away. "We might be the first couple in the White House to capitalize on parenthood."

Claire turns to face him, letting her hand fall away from the doorknob. She matches his slight grin.

"I prefer the term weaponize. It sounds more accurate, don't you think?"

**A/N 2: Okay, I ended this here to give you a moment to process. Next chapter, Claire and Frank make their formal announcement, which doesn't go exactly as they wanted. I hope I made you guys want more! Ideas are always welcome. Thank you for reading (if you got this far) and please leave a review on your way out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for all of the awesome reviews. I'm glad people are interested in seeing where this goes. Hopefully I won't disappoint. Please enjoy the latest installment.

**Chapter Two **

"Daddy stop taking my food," Emily insists with a tiny giggle. Frank managed to sneak two apple slices off of Emily's plate before his daughter caught him. "Have Mommy make you breakfast if you want apples." The five-year-old moves the plate just out of her father's reach just as Claire comes into the kitchen.

"Daddy can make his own breakfast," Claire says with her back turned. She grabs a carton of orange juice from the fridge and spins around. Emily sees her mother and gasps, prompting Frank to furrow his eyebrows.

"Daddy, look!" Emily says and gestures to Claire. Frank glances at his wife whose lower half is hidden by the counter.

"What am I looking at?" Frank asks. Emily nearly rolls her eyes and hops out of her chair. She bypasses her father and gently grabs her mother's arm, dragging her towards Frank.

"Look Francis," Emily snaps at her father, pointing her finger at her mother's stomach. Her tone of voice and demeanor mirror her mother. Claire and Frank raise their eyebrows at their daughter calling her father by his first name.

Claire coughs back a laugh and turns to the side, showing her husband what Emily sees. It's barely noticeable—the tiniest swell of her abdomen. Someone who didn't know any better could assume Claire ate a big meal or wore too tight of a shirt. Unfortunately, this accelerates their timeline. If their five-year-old daughter noticed, it won't be too long before someone else does.

"Oh," Frank says while hiding his smile in the rim of his coffee mug. Claire sits next to him with Emily following.

"We have to decide how we want to go public, Francis," Claire tells him. She grabs the remaining apple slices off of the plate and pops them in her mouth.

"Why don't you yell at Mommy for taking your food?" Frank asks his daughter.

"Her and my sister need it, you don't," Emily informs her father and hops off the chair, grabbing her backpack to signal she's ready to leave. Frank stares slack-jawed at his daughter's response. Claire polishes off her orange juice and stands up. She's taking Emily to school now that her morning sickness has slightly diminished.

"I'll drop her off and come back for our meeting," Claire informs her husband. He reaches to grab her hand, squeezing it.

"Claire don't get out of the car. We don't need you photographed from the side right now." Claire nods in understanding and walks away from her husband, letting her hand gradually slip out of his.

Three weeks ago, Claire, Frank, Seth and Doug had a meeting to discuss options to reveal the pregnancy. They agreed to put a pin in the meeting until Claire started showing, which is a risky move: there has to be something there for people to see, but if the wrong person sees it, then waiting will have been for nothing.

"Did anybody see you?" Frank asks Claire when she arrives at the Oval. Seth and Doug are already waiting, each registering why they are having this meeting when they see the Vice President.

"No, I stayed in the car. I made Emily promise not to tell her friends, but we might only have a few days." Claire moves aside some pillows so she can sit on the couch.

"I think the best way to do this is to have the two of you speaking together at an event," Seth begins, looking from Frank to Claire.

"Not a press conference," Frank interjects, knowing Claire shot down the notion before.

"No, more of a fundraiser or a rally, either one will work. And I don't think the girl should be there. This needs to be about the two of you," Doug says. Frank lifts his eyebrows at the way his chief of staff chose to address their daughter.

"Doesn't _Emily _play into what we are trying to sell? A long-awaited sibling for our daughter?" Claire asks Doug.

"We can involve her later. Maybe a formal, family interview if we need to," Seth says. "My suggestion would be your scheduled address at the Sentinel next week. South Carolina offers a personal touch for the two of you."

South Carolina is a bittersweet place for them. The last time they were in Frank's home state was during the primary and their separation. Through LeeAnn, Claire released a long-buried photo of Frank's father shaking hands with a known Klan's member. Due to the inevitable fallout, Frank lost, and Claire used the opportunity to propose her as his running mate.

It is also the place where they flourished. Their house is still there, as is the church they got married and renewed their vows in. Announcing the long-anticipated arrival of their second child in Frank's home state has a certain symbolism to it.

Frank and Claire lock eyes with each other, nodding in agreement. What Seth is proposing might be their best way to connect with the public on a personal level.

"Go ahead and set it up," Frank tells Seth and Doug. The two men excuse themselves shortly after. Claire walks over and sits in her usual spot on her husband's desk. A grin tugs at Frank's lips as he watches her gracefully perch herself on top of his desk. "You better enjoy that while you still can."

Claire smirks and glides a hand over her stomach.

"Francis, I think we should get Tom to write our remarks for the announcement." Frank furrows his eyebrows at his wife's suggestion. He doesn't trust Tom as much as Claire does and with good reason. The writer betrayed them once with how he wrote his book, and again when he tried to sell it to the highest bidder. When Frank and Claire brought Tom back into the fold, it was so they could keep an eye on him, not tell him their secrets like before.

"Are you sure you want to trust him?" Claire gives a mixture of a nod and shrug.

"There are very few people who understand us. Meechum was one, Tom is another." Frank manages a sad smile at the mention of their former bodyguard.

"Alright." Frank relents mostly because he's letting his wife dictate how this plays out. Claire leans over and brushes a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you." She hops off his desk and makes her way towards the office door. "And Francis?"

"What?"

"If Doug ever refers to our daughter as 'the girl' in front of me again, I will bury him." Frank nods in agreement. Doug's treatment of Emily has been bothering Claire for a while, and he's been neglecting to do anything about it. Normally, he would let Claire take care of it herself, but Doug would be more inclined to listen if it is coming from Frank.

"I will talk to him."

Frank and Claire had an important meeting with the Cabinet they couldn't reschedule, so they broke their usual protocol and had the nanny scoop Emily up from school. Claire arrives back to the residence ahead of her husband and their daughter is nowhere to be found.

"Emily?" Claire yells. Anxiety rises in her when she doesn't hear an immediate response. Their daughter should've been home from school by now. "Emily, are you home?"

"I'm in my room, Mommy!" Emily shouts back. Claire breathes a sigh of relief. She decides to leave her daughter be for the time being and get some work done. A few hours later, Frank comes into the residence just as Claire is finishing up dinner.

"Where's Emily?" Frank asks. Usually the five-year-old is playing in the living room when he arrives home.

"She's in her room. Something is going on with her, Francis," Claire says.

"How do you mean?" Claire hands him a glass of wine and nudges him towards the table.

"I can just tell she's keeping something from us. Emily, it's time for dinner!" Claire watches Emily ease out of her room, clutching her rabbit tightly in her hand. The rabbit is a tell-tale sign something is bothering the five-year-old. It only appears when their daughter needs comfort.

"Why do you have that, Em?" Frank asks, hoping to get a confession out of Emily. Emily shrugs and sets the rabbit on the empty chair next to her.

"I want Bunny to eat with us," Emily mumbles. Claire's eyes slide over to Frank's and he gestures for her to probe further.

"Is something bothering you, Emily?" Claire asks. Emily stares at her food while shaking her head. "Are you sure?"

"Uh huh."

"Toys don't belong at the table, so go put Bunny away," Frank says. Emily clutches the rabbit to her chest while her eyes become glassy with tears.

"Emily, what's wrong?" Claire asks. Emily reaches for Claire instead of Frank like she typically does when she's upset.

"I tell the secret," Emily sobs. Frank's eyes widen and he looks at Claire with apprehension. He knew they couldn't trust their daughter to keep the pregnancy to herself.

"Why would you do that, Em?" Frank asks while trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Emily sniffs loudly and rests her head on Claire's chest.

"My teacher ask me. She saw Mommy throw up when she drop me off at school. She think Mommy was sick. I'm sorry Mommy and Daddy!" Emily wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It's okay, Emily. It's not your fault, it's mine," Claire reassures her daughter. "A few days ago, I thought my morning sickness had passed when I dropped Emily off. As soon as she left the car, I had to get out and throw up. One of the agents has the worst coffee breath. Someone must have seen me."

"Okay…is this going to affect our plan?" Frank asks his wife. Claire tightens her hold on Emily as she shrugs.

"I don't think so, but we can't hold off much longer."

"Am I in trouble?" Emily asks her parents. Frank shakes his head.

"No Em, you did the right thing. We are going to South Carolina next week so we can tell everyone about the baby. Do you think you can hold off on telling anyone else until then?" Emily makes a serious face and nods.

"Yes, Daddy. I not tell anyone." Claire releases her grip on her daughter so Emily can return to her chair. They don't expect Emily to lie for them, especially at her age.

"Can you go put Bunny in your room now?" Claire asks. Emily reluctantly agrees and hops off her chair, grabbing her rabbit and tossing him into her room.

Claire skips their nightly cigarette and elects to take a bath instead. After changing into her pajamas, she slips under the covers and cracks open her book. Frank comes in a while later, having already changed into his pajamas in his room.

"We should discuss bringing your stuff in here," Claire offhandedly mentions, not bothering to look up from her book. "We are going to need somewhere to put the nursery."

As part of their agreement, Frank and Claire agreed not to set anything up for the baby until she's at least six months along. However, they are still going to need Frank's room cleared out before any furniture can go into the room.

"Are you comfortable with that?" Frank asks. Since Frank and Claire moved into the White House nearly two-and-a-half years ago, they've been in separate rooms. Claire claimed it was merely a cold that started the seismic shift in their marriage, but Frank knew it ran deeper than that. He wouldn't want to pressure her into sharing a room again if it's going to end up right where they were.

"You spend most nights in here anyways. If you are comfortable with it, then so am I." Frank reaches over, gesturing for her to move into his outstretched arm. Claire obliges, scooting closer to him in bed. His fingertips skim over her stomach, drawing lazy circles on the silk fabric of her pajamas.

"You know, my room has the bigger closet," Frank mumbles and glances down at Claire. Claire smirks and rests her head on his chest.

"Goodnight Francis."

"Goodnight." Frank reaches over and turns out the light, plummeting the room into darkness.

Right as Frank is about to slip under the surface of sleep, he hears one of their cell phones vibrate against the wooden nightstand. Claire is still suctioned to his side, fast asleep. He won't be able to move without waking her.

"Claire?" He asks, nudging her softly. Frank leans his body towards his side of the bed, eliciting a groan from his wife.

It's his phone ringing. Frank tries one more time to maneuver his body towards the table. Claire rolls off of him, taking his pillow with her. Frank scoops up his phone, tilting his head in confusion when he sees it's Seth calling.

"Seth, what's going on? It's late," Frank says, trying to keep his voice down so he doesn't wake up his wife.

"We have a leak," Seth says. Frank sighs heavily into the phone.

"Alright. Grab Doug and come to the residence. I'll get Claire." Seth agrees and Frank hangs up the phone. He gently reaches over, shaking Claire awake.

"Francis, what is it?" Claire asks.

"Seth and Doug are coming up. Apparently, someone is talking to the press." Claire's lips collapse into a frown. She assumes it has to be someone from Emily's school that talked. Frank hands his wife her matching silk robe for her to toss over her shoulders. By the time Frank and Claire get into the living room, Seth and Doug are already waiting.

"Try and keep your voice down, Emily is sleeping," Frank reminds the two men. "Do we know where the leak is coming from?"

"No, but what they have is thin. It's a fishing expedition, sir," Doug says for him and Seth.

"How do you know?" Claire asks. Seth hands her his tablet to skim through.

"Just based on what they have. The photo is very blurry, you can't definitively make out that it's you in the picture," Seth tells her.

"Are you sure this is me?" Claire asks, showing Frank the photo featured in the article. It's a side shot of some woman showing more than Claire is at the moment. The photo is obscured so the reader can barely even see the person's face.

"We aren't sure, no. The article speculates that Tom Yates is the father," Doug adds. Claire scrolls down to see a picture of her and Tom standing next to each other at a campaign event from about a year ago.

"Apparently, I'm five months along with a girl. They know more about this baby than I do," Claire comments and hands the tablet to Frank.

"Can we shut this down?" Frank asks. He knows this article means nothing, but it gets people talking, especially since it's in a widely circulated magazine.

"It's doubtful, sir. The editor only showed me this because he's a friend. I would advise we just let it run and not comment on it," Seth says.

"Is South Carolina even an option anymore?" Claire asks Seth and Doug. She's willing to scrap the whole idea if it means they can remain in control of the narrative.

"Yes, I believe we can still make it work. I think you just need to keep a low-profile until then," Doug tells Claire.

"You mean, stay at the White House?" Claire asks.

"More or less. You don't have to completely quarantine yourself, but just be careful," Seth tells her. Frank reaches over and skims his hand down Claire's arm.

"Thank you. Let us know if something comes of this," Frank says. Frank and Claire watch Seth and Doug leave the residence. "Are you sure you're comfortable with the idea?" Claire turns so she is facing him, letting his hand fall from her side. She's secretly wondering if he's referring to the Sentinel announcement or the baby as a whole.

"Yes. We're committed now." Frank gives her a nod and they start walking back towards Claire's bedroom, interlocking their fingers on the way.

"Francis, what do you think of this?" Claire asks, holding a maroon t-shirt dress up to her frame. They are on the plane to South Carolina and Claire is going over outfit choices for the announcement. Frank glances up from his paperwork while Emily sets her crayon down.

"What's wrong with what you are wearing?" Frank asks. Claire looks down at her black-and-white pantsuit she threw on this morning before they boarded the plane.

"I was thinking of something more...noticeable." Emily walks over to the choices her mother has laid out on the couch across from her father's desk. There's a gunmetal gray dress with a belt cinched around the waist, a white bolero dress, the maroon dress Claire is holding and another navy wrap dress.

"I'm not good at this sort of thing—" Frank trails off, watching his daughter carefully scrutinizing Claire's choices. Claire's eyes follow her husband's, seeing Emily start making piles on the couch.

"Mommy, not this one," Emily tosses aside the navy dress. "Can I have that?" Claire hands Emily the maroon dress she has in her hands. The five-year-old sets it down with the navy dress.

"What was wrong with that one?" Claire asks out of curiosity.

"I don't like it," Emily bluntly states. "Pick one of these, Mommy." The five-year-old points to the white and gray options left on the couch. Claire is happy to oblige her daughter, wanting Emily to know her opinion matters. They don't want her to feel shut out.

"I like the gray one with the belt. What do you think?" Claire defers her question to Emily instead of Frank. Emily nods and hands Claire the dress to change into.

"What are you wearing, Daddy?" Emily asks.

"This...I think." Frank gestures to the suit he has on.

"No." Emily shakes her head and maneuvers around her mother to where Claire laid out some suit options. "Wear...this one." Emily points to the famous navy-blue suit Frank wears on important occasions.

"She really is your daughter," Frank comments to Claire. Claire smiles and hands Frank his suit while stamping a kiss to his cheek.

As soon as they get off Air Force One, the Underwoods' are marshaled into a car, taking them to the Sentinel.

"Did Tom send you over his remarks?" Claire asks Frank.

"Yes. They are good." Claire nods in agreement and takes a pen from her purse to revise a fragment of Tom's speech.

"Did Doug provide you with an updated guest list?"

"No. Why?" Claire digs in her folder and pulls a piece of paper out, showing him the highlighted names that are causing her concern.

"Why on earth are they coming?" Frank asks, taking the list from her. He's referring to Bill and Annette Shepherd, billionaire siblings who wield a lot of power in shaping Washington politics and policy. The Underwoods' and Shepherds' have worked together behind-the-scenes since Frank first got elected to Congress. Claire and Annette went to school together and have a complicated, often-strained relationship.

"I don't know. I haven't heard from Annette since the gun bill failed." Frank bites his lip while he studies the list.

"We can use them."

"Yes, we can."

Of all the people Claire and Frank have spared with the past, the Shepherds' are by far the most dangerous. They have the capital and influence in Washington that many people can only dream of.

Frank, Claire and Emily exit the car away from the crowds gathering in and around the Sentinel. Secret Service clears a staging area for them to prepare. Tom, Doug and Seth are already waiting. Claire hands Tom her revisions to his speech in case he wants to make any last-minute changes.

"Daddy, am I going out there with you and Mommy?" Emily asks. The toddler changed into her favorite camel-colored dress and had Claire pin back her brunette hair.

"You can at the very end. You have to wait for Mom or me to call you, though." Frank doesn't want their daughter charging the stage at the wrong moment. Their announcement has been carefully choreographed with little margin for error.

"I want you to watch us from back here and wait for my signal," Claire tells Emily. Contrary to what Doug said, Claire wants their daughter involved. This is about their family, and Emily is an essential part of that.

"Okay," Emily says.

Claire approaches Frank, who always steps away before a big speech to run through everything privately. She adjusts his tie, smirking when he lets out an irritated sigh.

"Shall we rehearse?" Frank asks. Claire nods and listens as Frank begins reading off the paper he's holding.

Ten minutes later, Seth interrupts them, letting Frank know it's time for him to take the stage.

"Warm them up for me," Claire comments. Frank reaches over and pinches her cheek. Claire follows him over to where Emily is impatiently waiting with Tom near the curtain.

"Please welcome my friend, President Francis J. Underwood to the stage," The dean of the Sentinel announces. Frank steps out as the crowd erupts in applause. He shakes the dean's hand and poses for a few obligatory pictures.

"Thank you. I'm so happy to be back at the Sentinel. It has helped shape me into the person and President I am today. I learned so much throughout my four years here about honor, discipline—what it means to be a decent soldier and person."

From the wings, Claire and Emily watch Frank deliver his speech. The five-year-old is leaning on her mother's leg, completely enrapt by her father's remarks.

"South Carolina and the Sentinel are an integral piece of my history. During my tenure here, I began my political career as this state's youngest state legislator. My wife and I got married at the church in Gaffney, not too far from where we are now. We still have a house in Gaffney, where our daughter took her first steps in. Claire and I feel a deep sense of pride and loyalty to the people of South Carolina, which is why we wanted to make an important announcement here, instead of Washington. I'm sure you would rather hear from my wife instead of me, so I will turn it over to her. It is my pleasure to introduce my beautiful wife, the First Lady and Vice President of the United States, Claire Underwood!"

"Go Mommy!" Emily gently pushes Claire forward. Claire steps into view with her hand resting on her stomach, rubbing it. She hears the clicking noise of several cameras intensify as she steps closer to her husband. Frank presses a firm kiss to her lips and stands beside her.

"We are so happy to have received such a warm welcome from the Sentinel!" Claire yells over the applause. "Francis and I couldn't think of a better place to announce we are expecting our second child than right here, in South Carolina." She waits for the initial shock to die down amongst the crowd. "We couldn't be more excited to welcome another baby into our family, and _finally _give Emily the sibling she's been asking for. And we want to thank everyone for their well-wishes and support, both on a personal and professional level. Thank you!"

Claire is wondering why Frank doesn't have his hand on her stomach like they rehearsed. She glances back, ever-so-slightly gesturing to him. Thankfully, Frank receives the message and wraps his arm around her waist while the crowd cheers. His hand doesn't come in contact with her abdomen, instead he chooses to rest it on her side.

"God bless the Sentinel! And God bless the United States of America! Thank you!" Frank yells just as Emily comes out on stage to stand next to her parents. The three of them wave to the crowd chanting "Underwood." Frank is the first to walk towards the side of the stage, gripping Claire's hand tightly. Emily follows, waving to the crowd until she's behind the curtain with her parents.

"That was so cool!" Emily exclaims and jumps to high five Tom. Claire doesn't match Emily's enthusiasm. It bothers her that her husband went off-script at a crucial moment for them. Their marriage is already scrutinized enough in public, he should know better than anyone the significance of body language. The announcement is going to be analyzed on every major news outlet and pundits will be searching for any excuse to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Frank and Claire's relationship.

"We should go and greet everyone," Claire says to her husband. Frank nods in agreement and rests his hand on her back.

"I'm due in December, around Christmas," Claire says with a hand on her stomach. Frank stands behind her, gliding his hand up her spine. So far, Frank has played the role of expectant father beautifully to the crowd. He's within steps of Claire, shaking various constituents' hands and smiling through anyone attempting to give him advice.

It's weird for Frank to see his wife being so open and public with this pregnancy even if she's merely doing it to further their agenda. When Claire was pregnant with Emily, she kept it hidden for the first six months. The only reason the public knew about the first pregnancy was because the reporter Frank was sleeping with leaked it. Claire and Frank never went on record to confirm they were expecting at the time, but they didn't have to. Claire stopped showing up at events and was photographed running with a stroller in the park a few months later.

Frank is falling back on his more pragmatic side when it comes to his wife's pregnancy. He fears Claire is getting too excited about the prospect of a second child, which is so unlike her. Usually, she's the more level-headed of the two of them. They could lose the baby at any time, and Claire needs to be mindful of that. Reminding her of the fact won't do them any good. For now, he just has to let this play out and hope the public will latch onto the idea so they can get their maternity leave bill passed.

"Claire, Frank, congratulations," Annette Shepherd says when her and Bill catch up to the First Couple.

"Thank you," Claire mutters as she accepts a kiss on the cheek from Bill. Frank does the same to Annette.

"We saw your little girl up there. She is so beautiful. Looks just like you," Annette says. Bill and Frank shake hands. Claire isn't fooled by Annette's kind words. The two women have known each other long enough to filter through the pleasantries.

"Thankfully, she resembles Claire and not me," Frank adds with a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Bill, let's get a drink and let the women catch up."

"Alright Frank," Bill steps away from Annette and Claire, following Frank over to the bar. Annette steps closer to Claire, not wanting anyone to hear what she's about to say.

"I heard your maternity bill is flatlining," Annette whispers. She glances down at Claire's swollen abdomen. "The baby is a nice touch."

"You always taught me to go for the long con." A photographer walks by, catching Claire and Annette chatting with each other.

"Excuse me, can we have a photo of the two of you together?" The photographer asks. Claire and Annette oblige, putting their arms around each other while smiling for the camera. "Thank you."

"It would be in your best interest to support us, Annette. We've proven ourselves to be a necessary ally to you in the White House," Claire says.

"I think it would be in _your _best interest to let the bill...and your baby die a painless death." Annette starts to walk away, but Claire forcefully grabs her arm, captivating the brunette woman's attention.

"Don't make Francis and I your enemies. We don't want to go down that road again. We are offering you a partnership, a direct line to the President and Vice President whenever you and Bill need it. It would be silly for you to throw that away. Imagine all we can accomplish _together._"

Claire walks away to find Emily and Tom, leaving a stunned Annette in her wake. She's confident this won't be the last time her and Frank will cross pass with the Shepherds', but Claire isn't worried. Bill is a reasonable man who won't squander a lucrative opportunity when he sees it. Annette will fall in line with her brother. Otherwise, he won't hesitate to leave her with nothing.

"Hey Mommy, where's Daddy?" Emily asks. She's sitting at a barstool with Tom, giggling at whatever the writer just told her.

"He's talking to an old friend." Claire meets her husband's eyes across the bar and gives him a nod. Frank winks back at her and wraps up his conversation with Bill. "Emily, please go get your daddy. Tell him I'm tired and it's time to leave."

"Okay, I'll see you later, Tom!" Emily hops off the stool and makes her way through the crowd, smiling at the adults who are smiling at her.

"I thought your speech was convincing enough," Tom tells Claire. "The President on the other hand—"

"You don't think people bought it?" The author is incredibly perceptive, and Claire likes to tap into that from time to time. It helps her and Frank see something they are otherwise blind to, even if it has to do with each other. Tom shrugs, offering little explanation.

"They might. I think they will believe you because you want them to. You have that effect on people, especially the President."

Frank and Emily join Tom and Claire before she is able to ask him to elaborate.

"Em said you are ready to go," Frank says to Claire.

"Yes. Are you finished getting your accolades?" He smirks at the mischievous glint in his wife's cerulean eyes.

"The rest can wait. Let's get going." Frank and Claire bid Tom goodnight with Emily scampering ahead in front of them. On the way out, the First Couple glad-hand a few stragglers who are waiting to congratulate them.

On the way back to the hotel, Emily falls asleep in her chair, the excitement of the day finally tuckering the little girl out. Frank glides his hand over his wife's palm, grinning when she clasps his hand.

"I thought today went well," Frank comments. Claire squeezes his hand and internally chooses her words carefully.

"It did. I just wish—" She lets the words die on her lips, but Frank already heard them.

"What?"

"You would've stuck to what we rehearsed." It's a minor scolding on her part to let her husband know she's frustrated.

"You're right. Did your conversation with Annette go anywhere?" Claire senses his thumb skim over her knuckles as she relaxes into the leather cushion of the limo.

"She's going to be tough to get on board, but I expect nothing less."

"Same with Bill. We can keep pushing. I'm sure there's a favor to be owed."

The next morning, Frank, Claire and Emily are on a plane back to Washington. Emily is occupied with getting some homework done while Frank and Claire are eating breakfast in the conference room of Air Force One.

"Ma'am, the paper you requested," one of the stewards says, handing Claire a copy of today's _Washington Herald. _

"Thank you," Claire accepts the paper and turns to the front page. "Oh no."

Frank looks up, wondering what his wife is frowning at. Claire angles the paper towards him, tilting her head towards the concerning headline.

_Rumors of Trouble Brewing Amongst President and Vice President Amid Announcement of Baby No. 2_

"President and Vice President Underwood were at the Sentinel yesterday, the former _alma mater _of the Commander in Chief's when they announced they are expecting their second child," Claire reads. "Many people at the event reported a certain disconnect between the First Couple, most notably when President Underwood put a 'stiff' arm around the pregnant Vice President." Frank tries not to wither under the intensity of his wife's glare. "This isn't the first time there's been reports of marital strife between the Underwoods', the pair famously reconciled after the President was shot in early 2016. The First Couple already share a daughter, Emily, 5, and the Vice President is due in December. The _Washington Herald _has reached out to the White House Communications Office for comment on this matter but did not receive a response back at press time."

Claire all but throws the newspaper down and takes her reading glasses off.

"Claire, we can't pay attention to things like this. You know that better than anyone." Frank doesn't comprehend why his wife is getting so upset about one article in the _Herald. _She's never cared about what people wrote about her in the past.

"Public perception is the whole reason why we are doing this, Francis." Claire tries in vain to maintain the volume of her voice. Emily is in the other room with the door open.

"This has to be the Shepherds." Bill and Annette have an excisable amount of influence over the media in Washington. One of them could've easily planted this article.

"Are we together on this, Francis?" Claire asks. Her question extends far beyond the negative press they are receiving. She needs to know if he's dedicated to the bill and baby. Frank looks insulted she would ask him that question.

"Yes, we are together, Claire." Claire backs up in her chair and stands.

"Then fix this." Frank watches her go into his office where Emily is and slam the door shut. He grabs up his phone and calls Seth on speed dial.

"Seth it's me," Frank begins. "I think we need to move forward with an interview."

**A/N 2: That's it! You guys can pretty much guess where the next chapter is going. I'm probably going to have to extend beyond my five-chapter estimation for this just because I don't want to rush anything. (I'm guessing maybe six or seven chapters?) Please leave your thoughts and I promise I'll have something for you guys soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy in these uncertain times. I appreciate all the lovely reviews left for me. Please enjoy the latest chapter.**

**Chapter Three**

"Okay…who do you want me to get to conduct it?" Seth asks on the other end of the call. He—like other members of the administration—read this morning's copy of the _Washington Herald. _It's not a surprise Frank is calling him to work on a media strategy.

"Someone respectable. I want someone who will focus more on the politics of this instead of us." Frank refuses to have some doe-eyed, fresh-out-of-college writer doing a puff piece on their family. He would rather have the emphasis be on Claire's maternity bill to redirect the country's attention.

"Sure. I can ask Matt Bai of the _New York Times _if he's willing to do an article. Are you sure you don't want to reach out to Ashleigh Banfield again? It might be good to do a follow-up interview."

Frank pauses to mull over the suggestion in his head. He likes Ashleigh and values her willingness to ask difficult questions, but they need someone who will stay on message for this particular interview. If this goes sideways, they can forget about reframing the narrative. All people will want to hear about is whether their marriage will survive another strain.

"Let me run it by Claire and see what she thinks. I'll have an answer for you by the time we get to Washington. Call me if something else comes up." Frank hangs up the phone and instantly regrets his promise to Seth. Claire won't want to speak to him now but having Emily in the room might be his saving grace. He knows how much Claire hates arguing around their daughter.

Frank knocks on the door softly, not wanting to wake Emily or Claire if they are sleeping.

"Come in!" Emily exclaims from the other side. Frank opens the door and shoves his hands in his pockets. Claire is perched at the desk, skimming something on her computer. Emily is preoccupied with doing her homework on the floor.

"Did you need something, Francis?" Claire asks. She barely glances up at him over her reading glasses. Frank walks into the office, gently shutting the door behind him.

"I talked to Seth. He agrees we should do an interview…together. We were discussing either Matt Bai or Ashleigh Banfield. I want to get your opinion." He walks past Emily and sits in the empty chair across from his wife. Emily abandons her schoolwork and hops into her father's lap.

Claire slips off her reading glasses and closes her laptop before swiveling her chair to the side. Her hands fold over her stomach, a habit of hers Frank has recently noticed.

"I don't trust Ashleigh after our last interview. She's going to want to focus on us instead of the bill."

"My thoughts exactly."

"I think Matt would understand what we are trying to accomplish." Frank nods in agreement. Ever since the CNN interview Claire did, they've been extremely selective about the interviews they give to avoid another disaster. If press conferences weren't a necessary evil, Frank and Claire would not talk to the press altogether.

"I'll tell Seth to set it up once we get back." Frank wants to personally handle this since he was the one who got them in hot water to begin with. Claire gives him a clipped nod and turns, shifting her attention to the laptop. Frank takes this as his cue to leave and nudges Emily out his lap. The five-year-old has been uncharacteristically quiet during this whole exchange. "Claire?"

"What?" Claire glances up at her husband, seeing him hovering in the doorway.

"We are together. No matter what." Frank sincerely says. A barely-there smile tugs at Claire's lips. She appreciates him saying that, but she isn't ready to forgive him quite yet. They still need to have a conversation—away from their daughter—about his reservations regarding their second child. "Em? Can I borrow you for a second?"

Emily looks up and gives him the same skeptical look he's received from Claire many times—a slight tilt of the head, narrowing of their identical cerulean eyes.

"Sure, Daddy, but I have a lot of work to do." Emily follows her father out of the office and into the main cabin of Air Force One. Emily hops into one of the many unoccupied seats near an agent.

"When we get back, you and I are going shopping for your mom. We can't tell her though." Frank is wary about trusting Emily with keeping their excursion from Claire, but his wife has an event tomorrow that will allow them to sneak away undetected.

"Why not?" Emily asks. She can't remember a time when she's gone shopping for either of her parents since they don't get each other presents.

"I want it to be a surprise." Emily nods in understanding.

"I won't tell her."

"Good. Get back to work," Frank says playfully before disappearing into his own office.

When they get back to the White House, Frank shutters himself in the Oval while Claire goes to her own office. From years of being married to his wife, he knows when he should push and when he should give her space. He would rather have her open up the dialogue when she's ready, so she'll be more receptive to finding a middle ground.

"Claire and I agree, we want Matt to do the interview. I want you to set it up as soon as possible. We can make next week work," Frank tells Seth.

"Of course. I'll reach out to Matt and see what his availability is. Where is the Vice President? I have some things to go over for her event tomorrow." Seth has grown accustom to having Claire in the Oval during meetings like this. It's weird to be speaking to Frank without her.

"She's in her office." Frank leaves it at that. He doesn't want members of their administration knowing when he and Claire have a fight. It will only substantiate the _Herald's _claim of marital strife.

"Right. I'll talk to them and set something up for next week." Seth flees the Oval Office and walks down the narrow hallway to Claire's.

Later that night, Frank, Claire and Emily are having a mostly silent dinner at the residence. Emily is chattering on about her friend Ian while Frank and Claire are half-listening.

"Ian says he thinks the baby is a boy, but I told him he's wrong," Emily proudly informs her parents. Claire glances at Frank over their daughter's head, silently warning him to tread carefully in his response.

"I think Ian is right." Emily nearly drops her fork in shock. Claire suppresses a laugh in her hand.

"_What? _No way. Mommy, what do you think?"

"I think the baby will be a girl," Claire says to reassure Emily. Emily breathes a sigh of relief and glares at her father.

"Told you, Daddy."

"Francis, did Seth tell you he got Matt Bai for next week? We are doing the interview here, at the residence." Frank nods. This is the first time they've addressed each other directly since their conversation on the plane.

"He didn't, but the sooner we get it out there, the better. Are we doing this as a family?" Frank asks, not-so-subtly asking if Emily will be involved.

"I think the two of us will be enough. They want to take photos as well." Frank grimaces at the idea. As much as he loves being in the spotlight, he hates planned photo shoots. He's sure—like him—Claire is thinking of their disastrous portrait session a few years ago. "Maybe Emily could be involved in that."

"Okay."

Claire is wondering if it's even worth talking to Frank about the precarious situation they've found themselves in. It's not so much he's against having a second baby—she's aware of it—it's the lack of support she feels that makes her upset. He's breaking their rule and they're in freefall right now, and they won't survive long in this state. However, if she's being honest with herself, even if Frank tells her he supports her, she might not believe it. He already told her a variation of that on the plane and it didn't move her as much as she thought it would. She doesn't know what she wants from him, which is part of the reason she's so upset.

"Emily, are you coming with me to the event tomorrow?" Claire asks. She's seen how much her daughter enjoys the political engagements her and Frank do and tries to include her when appropriate. Emily nervously shifts in her seat and shakes her head.

"No…I'm borrowing Em for something tomorrow." Frank says, winking at Emily. Claire lifts her eyebrows and starts to back out of her chair. "I got this. Go relax. I have to run back to the Oval anyways." Frank stands up and grabs his and Claire's plate. He stands next to Claire and gingerly leans down to kiss her cheek, wanting to see if she's receptive to it.

"Thank you." Claire says and halfheartedly accepts the kiss from him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Frank is relegating himself to his former bedroom or the couch in the Oval before Claire can. He's serious about giving her space, but he's putting a clock on it. They need to make up prior to the interview or it will be pointless.

"Okay." Claire frowns as her husband leaves the residence. He's putting distance between them because he feels he has to.

"Can we watch a movie?" Emily asks. Claire nods, which sends Emily sprinting to the couch. The five-year-old cuddles up to her mother, resting one hand on Claire's stomach. Emily falls asleep against Claire an hour later. Claire tucks Emily into bed, changes into pajamas and heads to the Oval.

Frank is jotting down notes at his desk when Claire comes strolling in.

"Hey," Frank says as he takes off his glasses. He's surprised to see his wife here. He thought she would wait until tomorrow to talk to him. Claire lifts herself onto her usual spot and hands him a cigarette.

"I figured one of us should get some enjoyment out of this," Claire states as she watches her husband light the cigarette. "Francis, I don't want us to be in the place we were before I left, especially now."

"I agree." Frank takes a drag of the cigarette as Claire reaches for a cup to set on his desk. "When I said we are together on this, I meant it. That doesn't mean I want another baby."

Frank stands up and sits on his desk so he's directly facing Claire. He blows the smoke away from her face.

"Are you hoping I lose the baby?" Claire asks him, wanting to hear his honest answer.

"Of course not, sweetheart. I just want you to see the difference."

What Frank is trying to say, which Claire doesn't seem to understand, is that even though he doesn't want another baby, he won't actively root against it. He will accept another child, just like he did when Emily was born.

"I understand. I think this will be good for us." Claire sets her hand on her abdomen.

"I hope you're right." He pauses and places his hand over hers that's resting on his desk. Claire senses it and links their fingers together. "We have to prepare for some tough questions from Matt Bai. He's going to ask about the maternity bill and the _Herald _article."

Claire reaches for the cigarette and takes a quick puff, much to Frank's confusion.

"Old habit. We should go over some practice responses later. I'm going back to the residence. Are you coming to bed?" Frank grins at the invitation.

"Yes, I just have to finish this briefing for tomorrow." Claire leans over and stamps a kiss to his cheek.

"I'll see you later, Mommy!" Emily tells Claire while she's hastily buttoning her rain jacket, wincing when a brunette strand gets caught.

"Have fun with Daddy," Claire tells her. Frank comes out of the bedroom holding an umbrella.

"Are you ready?" Frank purposely left details vague so Emily wouldn't blab to Claire. Emily sprints over to him and grabs his hand.

"Are you going to be back in time for our afternoon meeting?" Claire asks, hoping she can extrapolate some information from her husband on his secret mission with their daughter.

"Yes. Let's go." Frank bypasses Claire, watching her put a hand on his arm as he walks past.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Emily asks as she buckles herself in her car seat. Frank directs the Secret Service agent driving to a nearby baby store he had shut down prior to their arrival.

"We are going to get Mommy something. I need your help picking something out."

"Is it her birthday?" Emily asks. They never celebrate Frank or Claire's birthdays, but the five-year-old thought her dad changed his mind.

"No. I just want to get her a present just because."

"Okay."

Claire is let out of the limo at a banquet hall a few miles from the White House. She's agreed to speak for a fundraiser that raises money for unprivileged mothers in the DC area. Ever since announcing she's expecting, Frank put an enhanced security detail on her. He tries to travel with her when he can, but there are restrictions since they are president and vice president. Instead, Claire brought Tom along to help with her remarks.

"Hi, thank you, I don't feel great," Claire says to another pregnant woman near the stage. She's been trying to play up her pregnancy as much as she can for as long as she can. Claire moves onto an African American woman holding a toddler. "I'm due in December. I still have about five months to go."

"Do you think Mommy will like this?" Frank asks and holds up a onesie with a giraffe on it. Admittedly, he didn't do any of the shopping when Claire was pregnant with Emily. He isn't sure what his wife's taste in baby attire is.

"No. It's not cute," Emily tells her dad. She moves down the aisle, looking exclusively at girl's clothes. Frank has a feeling his daughter is only going to want to pick out pink onesies. They might have to compromise on an item rather than an outfit. "Daddy! Look!" Emily points outside to the photographers taking their picture through the window.

"Emily, come over here," Frank instructs his daughter. He doesn't want his daughter straying too far from him, especially when the press is around.

"Thank you so much for having me here today. As an expectant mother myself, I know it's more important now than ever to contribute to causes that help growing families in our area. Our administration is thrilled to be announcing a roll-out package supporting working mothers." Claire pauses to let her comment sink in. "Francis and I were embarrassed to learn that our country is one of the only developed countries that doesn't have mandated, paid family leave. While we are in office, we want to change that."

"Daddy, what do you think of this?" Emily asks and points to a stuffed shark on a high shelf. Frank and Emily have been at the store for over an hour, combing through every baby-related item they could find.

"Here, let me grab it," Frank reaches up and grimaces because of the stretching of his scar.

"You okay?" Emily asks, her cherub face emanating concern.

"I'm fine." Frank rubs his side briefly before turning his attention to the stuffed animal his daughter found. "This is a really good idea." Emily smiles proudly and stands a little taller.

"You love us more than sharks love blood, right?" Frank has told Emily and Claire that on numerous occasions.

"Of course, darlin'. Let's get this. Did you find anything else?" Emily shakes her head. Frank grabs his daughter's hand and walks to the counter to check out.

Claire isn't exactly sure what direction it came from, but based on how loud the shot was, it had to be close. A melee ignites the crowd, sending people scrambling to the exits. Secret Service runs on stage, circling around her as they scramble to an awaiting SUV. Tom is already in the car, eyeing her with concern.

"Are you alright?" Tom asks. Claire nods as she takes a few deep breaths to calm down. She folds her hands over her stomach and closes her eyes. Tom reaches over and places his hand on her lap. "It's okay."

"Let's go," Claire tells the driver of the SUV. She wants to get back to the White House as fast as possible.

"Sir, there were reports of shots fired at your wife's event," A blonde, female Secret Service agent says. Frank just got finished paying for the stuffed animal and hands Emily the bag. She reaches for him to pick her up, which he obliges.

"Is she okay?" Frank asks. Emily is looking from her father to the agent, wondering what's going on.

"She's fine. They are taking her and Tom Yates back to the White House. They should be arriving in about ten minutes."

"Okay, let's go. Now." Frank puts Emily on the floor and instructs her to get buckled while he throws his seat belt on.

"What's wrong?" Emily asks.

"Something happened at your mom's event. She's okay, but we need to go see her." Emily nods in comprehension and takes the shark out of the bag to play with on the drive home.

By the time they get back to the White House, Claire is sitting in Frank's chair in the Oval.

"Hi!" Emily exclaims. The five-year-old quickly hides the shopping bag behind her legs, but Claire already saw it. Frank walks over to his wife, engulfing her in a hug.

"Are you okay? Are the both of you okay? Do you need to get checked out?" Frank asks. He wasn't briefed on the details of what happened at Claire's event, just that a gun went off.

Claire grins at the concern radiating from her husband. She shakes her head as they separate.

"We're fine. One of the agent's guns accidentally fired backstage." Frank breathes a sigh of relief. Claire's eyes shift from him to Emily.

"Hey Emily, what do you have there?" Claire asks, knowing the gift is for her. Emily tosses the bag under her father's desk.

"Nothing." Emily has a remarkably good poker face for her age. If Claire didn't see the bag, she would've believed her daughter. Frank laughs and walks over to his desk, grabbing the bag off the floor.

"We got you something." Claire accepts the shopping bag but doesn't peer inside.

"You got me something because you thought I got shot today?" The confusion dancing across Claire's face makes Frank chuckle. She's not used to him getting her presents.

"No. We got you something because we wanted to. Open it later, we have a meeting to get to." Seth, Doug, Claire and Frank are prepping for the interview with Matt Bai, looking for any vulnerabilities in their answers.

"Thank you. I have to drop Emily off with the nanny and I'll be back." Claire dusts a kiss to Frank's cheek and holds the shopping bag close to her while Emily follows.

Hours later, Frank comes nearly sprinting into the residence, having just come from a meeting that ran late. Claire is already waiting with Emily at the table.

"I know, I'm late," Frank tells his wife and sits down in his spot at the table. Emily inhales her bite of spaghetti that was getting cold.

"You are. We were about to eat without you," Claire lightly admonishes. Frank sheepishly accepts a plateful of spaghetti. Their prep for the _Times _interview took longer than expected because Seth and Doug kept pressing them for better answers. Everything else on Frank's plate this afternoon got pushed back. Claire barely made it back to the residence in time to cook dinner.

"Did you get my gift?" Frank asks. Claire smirks, she was touched by it, but wants to have a little fun with her husband.

"I wouldn't exactly call that a gift, Francis." Frank stops mid-chew and turns to look at his wife. Emily stops eating as well and copies her father's bewildered expression.

"You wouldn't?" Claire shakes her head, desperately trying to keep the smile off her face.

"No. I would call it more of a gentle reminder than a gift." Frank realizes she's using the same words he used when he sent a framed photograph of them to her office while she was contemplating accepting Remy Danton's donation to her former company. "More heavy-handed than gentle I suppose, which isn't really your style, Francis."

"So you liked it?" Frank asks, seeing through her attempt at downplaying his gift.

"I did. You are really good at picking out animals for our children." _Our children. _He's surprised by how those words make him feel. He's so used to having _a child_, it's going to be a strange transition from one to two. "Emily, your daddy picked out your old bunny for you."

"You did?" Emily asks. The five-year-old was obsessed with the lilac rabbit she's had since she was a baby. Currently, the stuffed animal is sitting at the bottom of the subway tracks in New York City. The attempted retrieval of said animal caused an uproar when Claire was seen scolding Emily for attempting to grab it.

"I did. Well…Nancy did."

_Frank walks up the stairs after checking the basement for Claire. Even if she's six months pregnant, his wife still thinks she can work out on the rowing machine. _

"_Claire?" Frank calls out. She usually texts him if she's going out for a jog. Although, after the news of her pregnancy broke in the newspaper, she's been keeping her comings-and-goings limited to the townhouse and her office. _

"_I'm in the nursery!" Claire yells back. Frank opens the door to their future child's bedroom. Claire is seated on the floor, folding clothes. He glances at the gray walls and sparse furniture decorating the space. His wife hasn't asked him for any input on the decor, so Frank hasn't offered any. He assumed if Claire wanted his help, she would ask. _

"_This is coming together quite nicely," Frank comments. _

"_It's a nursery. It's fine." Claire sets aside the pile of onesies she's been folding and notices her husband is holding a gift bag. "What is that?"_

"_A present from Nancy. She heard about the baby and wanted to get us something." Frank hands her the bag and watches Claire pull out a stuffed rabbit. _

"_It's nice. We can put it in the crib…whenever it gets here." _

"_I'll make a call tomorrow. The crib will be here and set up by this weekend." _

"_Thank you." Claire tries to get off the floor, but her stomach won't allow for the motion. She grunts and propels herself forward, only to nearly topple over. Frank watches in amusement, not wanting to extend any help until she asks for it. "Francis, can you…?" Frank holds his hand out for her, feeling her grasp it and lift herself up. His hands slide down her sides, gently tugging on the fabric of her bunched-up, ebony sweater dress. _

"Em actually picked out the shark. She said it was because I tell you girls that I love you—"

"More than sharks love blood." Claire finishes for him. "Thank you, Emily. I think your brother or sister will like the toy."

When Claire heard about Frank and Emily's excursion, she wasn't expecting her husband to pick out something for their baby. After she saw the press photos of Frank and Emily today, she realizes the exposure was part of the reason why he did it. Regardless, she's still touched by the gesture. He's trying to show he's serious about supporting her decision to have another baby even if he doesn't want it.

Claire slides out of her chair and leans down to gently kiss Frank on the lips. Frank brushes back her blonde bob and pinches her cheek.

"Mommy, Daddy, gross," Emily complains. Claire pulls away from her husband and walks to the sink like she didn't hear their daughter.

"You're gross," Frank shoots back while playfully sticking out his tongue at Emily.

"Francis," Claire scolds from the kitchen, making Emily laugh.

Nearly a week later, Frank and Claire are scrambling to get ready for their _New York Times _interview. Emily is getting ready to leave for school, upset that she isn't part of the experience.

"Sorry Em, this is part of Mommy and I's job," Frank explains. He doesn't care if Emily is around for the interview, but there's no need for her to be present. Claire insisted on their daughter going to school instead.

Emily's blue eyes sweep over the living room of the residence which has been transformed into a makeshift photography studio. There's special lighting everywhere and her mom has spent most of the morning getting her makeup done.

"Francis! Can you come in here?" Claire asks from her bedroom.

"Don't leave just yet," Frank tells Emily. He has a feeling his wife is not happy with the outfit Seth picked out for her last night. Frank goes into the bedroom, seeing Claire struggle with the zipper of her copper-colored dress.

"Can you zip this for me?" Claire asks. Frank approaches her, gently sweeping her curled hair over her shoulder so it doesn't get tangled. He pulls on the zipper, but it won't budge.

"It's not coming up. Hold on," Frank yanks on the zipper and they both hear a tear in the fabric. Claire gasps and glances down. Her stomach has filled out in the past week, taking more of a rounded shape. She thought she still had time to wear non-maternity clothes, but she might've been wrong.

"Em! We need you!" Frank yells. Their daughter can provide better fashion advice than him. Claire glares at him for ruining her dress. She slips out of the garment and is clad in her bra and underwear when her daughter steps in.

"Hi Mommy, what's up?" Emily asks. Her eyes divert from her mother to the dress pooled on the floor.

"I need help picking out an outfit." Claire reaches for her robe, cinching it around her waist.

"Matt is here. I'm going to go buy us time," Frank informs his wife and sneaks out of the room.

Emily walks over to her mother's expansive closet, knowing where she keeps her dresses from all the time she's spent admiring the clothes. Claire's noticed her daughter's keen eye for fashion and wants to tap into it whenever she can.

"What color is Daddy wearing?" Emily asks while staring at a black skirt. Claire is a step behind Emily, wanting to see what her daughter lands on.

"Blue. I don't think black would work." Emily ignores her mother and opens another door of Claire's closet.

"Which one?" Emily asks, pointing to an ivory, boatneck dress and a black skirt, a white dress shirt with a gray t-shirt jacket over it.

"The white dress. Thank you, Emily," Claire dusts a kiss to the five-year-old's forehead. She appreciates her daughter pinch-hitting in a crisis. Emily watches Claire slip off her robe and grab the dress off the hanger.

"Mommy, why does your belly look weird like that?" Emily asks, pointing to Claire's swollen stomach.

"I'm not that far along so my stomach looks a little misshapen. It will round out and get bigger as the baby grows. You can touch, Emily." The five-year-old tentatively reaches out and rests her hand on Claire's bare abdomen. "The baby isn't ready to move yet. It will be a few more weeks."

"You can feel the baby moving?" Emily asks, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Of course. You kept me up all night long when I was pregnant with you."

Emily's hand falls away from her mother's stomach and Claire quickly changes into her dress. She slips her ebony peep-toe pumps on her feet and leaves the zipper gaping in the back so her husband can zip her up.

"Wait!" Emily grabs a pair of diamond studs off Claire's makeup table and hands them to her mother. Claire winks at Emily and puts them on. Emily steps out first and smiles at her father as they are walking towards him.

Frank is chatting with a bald man Claire assumes is Matt Bai about how he thinks the interview will go when they are interrupted.

"You look beautiful," Frank assures his wife and gently zips her dress up. Emily suctions herself to her father's leg, wary of Matt.

"This is our daughter, Emily," Claire says as she shakes Matt's hand.

"Hi," Emily mumbles to the reporter. The little girl is still frightened of strangers, another side-effect of her kidnapping.

"Hello. I'm going to be asking your mom and dad some questions today. Is there anything you want me to ask them?" Matt asks Emily. Emily smiles and steps away from her father.

"Ask them about names for my sister," Emily bluntly tells the reporter.

"We don't know if the baby is a girl yet, Em," Frank gently reminds his daughter. Emily ignores her father and giggles when the reporter pretends to write something down. "You have to get to school. We will see you later."

Emily exchanges hugs with both of her parents and scampers off to the agents waiting to take her to school. Frank and Claire have relaxed their stance on taking Emily to school and only do it now if their daughter asks.

"If you wouldn't mind giving me a few more seconds, I will be ready to go," Matt tells the First Couple and walks away to chat with an assistant.

"Emily picked that out for you?" Frank asks Claire with shock. He likes the way the fabric clings to her, making her bump look rounder than the previous dress she had on.

"She did. She also said my stomach looks weird." Frank laughs at his daughter's no-filter remark. He puts his hand on her back, guiding her to the couch. Claire looks a little nervous to him, which is unusual.

"You okay?" Frank asks. If his wife wants to back out, now would be the time to do it.

"Yes. Are we sure Seth went over the questions with him?" Claire has a horrible feeling this interview is going to go off the rails like the one she did with Ashleigh. Luckily, Frank is here this time to help guide the reporter's line of questioning.

"Yes. I trust him." Claire gives him a clipped nod and readjusts on the couch. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Matt walking towards them.

"Are you guys ready?" Matt asks. Frank nods and watches Matt turn on his recorder.

**A/N 2: Okay, I thought I was going to cover their interview this chapter, but I got distracted and here we are. Next chapter will be the interview, I promise. (And for those of you concerned, it won't be like **_**The Interview **_**because nobody wants to read the same thing twice.) Also, I'm still torn about whether Frank and Claire can have two kids. Input on this (or anything) would really help! Thank you so much for reading and please, please stay safe!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi again, I got a little wine drunk last night and uploaded this chapter before it was ready. Sorry about that! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and thoughts left for me on the direction of this. You guys have helped me make a decision for further down the line, so thank you! Please enjoy the next chapter. **

**Chapter Four**

The first thing Matt Bai likes to do when he interviews someone, or a group of people, is observe them. He turns the recorder on, signaling that he's ready to begin asking questions, except he waits. The journalist wants to see how his subject will react—whether it be how they position themselves or if they ask for water—before the interview actually starts. It helps Matt get a sense of the direction he should take the interview. If the subject asks for a beverage or crosses their arms over their chest, the veteran reporter knows he needs to ease his way into the riskier questions, so he doesn't get completely shut down.

Over the course of his career, Matt has covered Frank and Claire individually and as a unit on the campaign trail. He's never been able to interview either of them. And, this is the first time in almost twenty-five years they are doing a joint interview. When Seth reached out asking if Matt wanted to conduct the interview, the journalist immediately jumped at the chance, even if it came with several restrictions.

"Do you want anything?" Frank asks Claire. He leans back into the couch cushions and lazily extends his arm. He notices Matt turned on the recorder but hasn't asked them anything yet.

"No, I'm fine." Claire crosses one leg over the other and shifts on the couch so she senses her husband's arm against her back. If what Seth told them is true, then her and Frank will be able to glide through this interview unscathed. She would rather not stall and get on with her day. "Let's start."

Matt nods and reaches for his notebook sitting next to him on another couch.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to take some notes as well," Matt tells the couple. Frank gestures for him to continue, but not before looking at Claire for confirmation. The reporter makes a mental note of that for his piece. "Alright, I want to address the elephant in the room right away. There was an article recently in the _Herald _hinting at trouble within your marriage. The two of you separated for a brief time during the 2016 election. Can you tell me about that?"

Claire's teeth skims across her lips as she glances sideways at her husband. Their separation was supposed to be one of Matt's off-limit topics.

"We would rather not talk about the details since our daughter will be able to access this one day," Frank says for him and Claire. He is wondering why Matt is already violating their trust when they've barely started.

"I understand, but can you just give me a brief summary for context? I think it would really help the narrative here," Matt tells them.

"What I will say is that we went through a rough time in our marriage and we weren't getting along. When you are in the public eye, running for office like we were, those problems become magnified," Claire explains. She's keeping her explanation as vague as possible because of the very reason Frank pointed out. Emily will either hear about the article now, or later on in her life. Claire will never speak about the violent fight she had with Frank the night before she left with Emily to protect their daughter and future child.

Claire tried to shield Emily when the news of the separation first broke due to journalists falsely reporting details of her confrontation with Frank. Some reporters said it was a "heated discussion" while others said Frank hit, choked or threw her against the wall. As long as Emily believes Claire left Frank at the time because it was in their best interest, she's okay with providing a morsel of information.

"Obviously, the two of you reconciled after the President got shot. Mrs. Underwood, is that the reason you came back?" Claire can feel the heat of Frank's gaze on the side of her face.

"Yes and no. I couldn't imagine not being by his side during the whole ordeal. And I wanted our daughter there as well in case the worst happened. I knew after he fully recovered I had the option to leave again if I wanted to."

"So why didn't you?" Matt asks. Claire gently sets her hand on her husband's thigh.

"I felt heard. Francis and I had a conversation about our future when he came home from the hospital and it was the first time in nearly a year where I felt like he really heard me. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't want to just throw away almost thirty years of marriage."

_Stay with me, Claire. Stay with me. It's us against them. Always. Otherwise, what's the goddamn point? _Claire remembers Frank's speech to her while they were sitting at the table a few feet from where they are now. Admittedly, she wasn't immediately convinced her husband was going to deliver on her request to be his running mate, but she made it clear she was done if he didn't. Thankfully, they were able to strengthen their political career and marriage at the same time.

Frank skims his hand up her arm that's resting on his thigh. He entwines their fingers and smiles at her. He's secretly grateful to Matt for giving him an insight into why Claire decided to come back.

"And shortly after the two of you reconciled, your mother unfortunately passed away—" Matt begins. Claire sits up a little straighter on the couch and tilts her head.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Frank asks for his wife. Claire indulged Matt about their separation, but Elizabeth Hale is irrelevant to what they are trying to accomplish.

"I'm sorry, my question was more related to the Vice President's magnificent speech afterwards, which many experts say secured your nomination. I was hoping you could talk to me about that. The two of you had quite the moment on stage at the convention."

Frank leans over and whispers something in Claire's ear, to which she gives him a slight nod. Matt motions for the photographer to take a picture discreetly of this candid moment between husband and wife. Claire and Frank are starting to notice the angle Matt is trying to work by the phrasing of his questioning. They decide to help him along a little bit.

"My mother and I always had a difficult relationship. I was juggling her passing and the recent fracture of our marriage, and I wanted to be honest with the American public about that. I think it resonated with people. They saw us, truly together, after months of speculation and being apart. And I think for Francis and me, it signified that we could be our nation's President and Vice President."

Matt nods as he's writing something down in his notebook. He's fielded most of his questions to Claire, and she's starting to get agitated. All of his experience tells him it's time to shift the focus onto Frank.

"Mr. President, what did you think of that moment when the two of you held your hands up as confirmed nominees for the Democratic party?"

"I thought it was the culmination of everything Claire and I have worked for. I wouldn't—and couldn't—have wanted to share that moment with anyone else." Frank squeezes Claire's hand. "Could we take a quick break?"

"Sure, of course." Matt shuts off the recorder and walks over to his assistant. Frank stands up and crosses the living room to the windows overlooking the White House lawn. Claire gets up to join her husband, thinking he interrupted their interview for a reason.

"Any updates?" Claire asks. Frank glances over his shoulder at Matt speaking with their photographer before looking back at his wife.

"No. I just thought you needed a moment. We don't have to finish this," Frank reminds her. Claire puts her hand on his back, gently rubbing it.

"I know. We have to work harder at steering him in the direction we want him to go." They lock eyes with each other and separate to walk back to the couch, resuming their previous positions. Matt finishes conversing with the photographer and turns the recorder back on.

"Circling back to the _Herald _article, is there any truth to it? Is your marriage in trouble again?" Matt asks. Frank is now starting to comprehend why Claire got so upset after the CNN interview. Even when given a select list of talking posts, the reporter is still going wildly off-script. Thankfully, this is not televised, so the Underwoods' have some leeway surrounding what questions they are willing to answer.

"No," Claire says. "It's true that we have our disagreements, but any other married couple would tell you the same." Frank nods in agreement with his wife.

"So people suggesting that you are having this baby to give your marriage a 'reboot' so-to-speak would be—?"

"Wrong," Frank answers Matt's question before he even gets a chance to finish asking it.

"With all due respect Mr. President, I saw the footage of the two of you at the Sentinel. I could easily see how the _Herald _could've come to their conclusion." Claire does her best not to glare her husband. She knew how discombobulated they looked since Frank didn't do what they rehearsed. It didn't come as a total surprise to her the media picked up on it the following day.

Frank sighs and pauses for a minute to think of a way to get them out of a debacle he caused. He decides to lean into selectively telling the truth, something he's used to his advantage before.

Claire senses Frank's hand rest on her abdomen and looks over at him. Her face remains neutral, concealing the shock she feels. Frank rarely touches her stomach, especially in front of other people. She understands why he's doing it and plays along.

"Truthfully, I'm scared," Frank says to Claire rather than Matt. She turns her head, locking eyes with her husband. Claire places her hand on top of his, offering him the tiniest of smiles. She's hoping Matt has his photographer capturing this moment to feature in the article.

"Of what?" Claire asks softly, before Matt has the chance to. They've had this conversation prior to her getting pregnant, but she wants the reporter to hear it.

"Something happening to you. Having a baby at our age isn't exactly the safest choice," Frank tells Claire. He sees Matt furiously writing in his notebook and smirks at Claire. His hand falls away from hers, knowing he's accomplished what he wanted to achieve.

"Why—sorry—why have a baby if the risk is so high?" Matt asks, taking the reins back from Claire on this interview. Claire clears her throat and crosses her fingers in her lap. "In your interview with Ashleigh Banfield, Claire, she asked you about having more children, and you said," Matt picks up an index card to read off of, "'I think one is enough for us and given my past miscarriages, I don't think it's even possible for me to get pregnant again.'"

Seth was right when he said that question would come back to haunt them. When she gave the interview, Claire was telling the truth, except for the miscarriages. She never imagined they would be having another baby, especially now when they are in their fifties.

"At the time, that's what I believed. Francis and I were content with Emily, but our daughter can be very persuasive," Claire says with a smile.

"Yes, I do remember watching coverage of the event you and your daughter attended. Didn't she ask you for a baby sister?" Matt asks. Claire and Frank laugh while they shake their heads.

"She did. We couldn't get her off the subject of a sibling. She kind of opened the door for Francis and me to start discussing it."

"So, this baby wasn't a surprise? You planned to have another child?" Matt asks.

"We knew because of our age and her prior miscarriages that we were going to need help getting pregnant," Frank tells the reporter. Claire is grateful her husband is answering this question instead of her. It makes him look more involved with the process.

"Are you worried, Mrs. Vice President, about how you are going to handle two kids and your job at the White House?" Matt asks. Claire furrows her eyebrows at the question.

"Francis isn't going anywhere. He can help me with taking care of _our _children," Claire responds with a little edge in her voice. She resents the sexist question Matt just asked her.

"Claire and I trade off on certain things with Emily so one of us doesn't feel overwhelmed. We try to split our parenting responsibilities as equally as possible," Frank explains.

What her husband is saying to Matt isn't exactly true. It's something she hasn't approached Frank with quite yet, but she's nervous about how they are going to figure out taking care of two young kids as well as maintaining their roles as President and Vice President. Claire handled most of the parenting with Emily when they first stepped foot in the White House. So much so, that it caused an argument between her and Frank. When they were separated, she took Emily to Dallas instead of leaving her in Washington with her husband. To his credit, Frank has stepped up and tried to make himself more present with Emily ever since they reunited.

"Do you mind if we talk about Emily?" Matt asks. He's broaching the subject with caution, knowing how guarded Frank and Claire are about their daughter.

"In what aspect?" Claire asks. She warned Seth about the constraints surrounding discussing Emily. Matt holds up his hands in an effort to soothe the Vice President.

"I just have a few questions that you can answer if you want. I promise they will be softballs." Claire glances at Frank for his opinion. He rests his hand on her knee, silently agreeing to it.

"Fine," Frank says for him and Claire. Matt flips a page over in his notebook and peruses his questions.

"Prior to that interview I mentioned with Ashleigh Banfield, the two of you never spoke publicly about your daughter. Since then, you've loosened your stance on that. Why?"

_Because Ashleigh trapped me in a corner and Francis insisted I do the interview, _Claire thinks to herself.

"We still try to limit her media exposure as much as possible," Frank says. "However, now that we are in the White House, we can't shield her from the press altogether. It's just not possible."

Based on Frank's response, Claire can anticipate Matt's next question, so she steps in.

"Plus, our daughter calls herself the Vice, Vice President. I think she enjoys going to events when we feel it's okay for her to attend."

"Do you feel like her stepping into the spotlight more led to her kidnapping last year?" Matt asks, forgetting about his promise to go easy on the Underwoods'. Claire flinches ever-so-slightly while Frank's lips curl into a frown.

"Yes," Frank answers. "We still feel guilty about that, but unfortunately, it's part of what comes with being in the Oval. Thankfully, Emily was returned safely to us and we've revamped our security protocol since then. For all of us."

"How has your daughter reacted to the news of the pregnancy?" Matt asks. He's making a conscious decision not to push Frank and Claire about Emily's kidnapping. He can tell by their reaction to the last question, he's pushing his boundaries again.

Claire breaks into a wide smile, which she directs at her husband.

"She's excited now, but something tells me she's not going to like sharing Francis." Claire reaches over and places her hand on Frank's upper arm. "The two of them are really close."

Frank sits up a little higher on the couch as a grin slides across his lips. He values his relationship with Emily, but he thinks his wife is right. Their daughter isn't going to like when his attention gets diverted to the new baby.

"I think Em will adjust just fine. She's incredibly mature for her age," Frank tells Claire. Claire shoots him a skeptical look. She's already picturing their daughter's first meltdown when Frank isn't immediately available to play with her.

"Mrs. Vice President, are you taking time off to spend time with the baby when it arrives?" Matt asks. Frank watches a lethal look emerge on his wife's face and internally cringes. He's been on the receiving end of that glare too many times throughout their marriage.

"Why aren't you asking my husband these questions too?" Claire asks. She let the other question about juggling two kids slide, but she doesn't want to blindly excuse a pattern of sexist questions—not when she's the most powerful woman in the country.

"Sorry, I should've been clearer. The reason I asked you this question because at a speaking engagement last week, you mentioned a…" Matt pauses to grab another index card, "'roll-out package supporting working mothers.'"

"Francis and I want—"

"Oh no, no, this is all you. I'm just in the background supporting you," Frank interrupts. Claire appreciates and resents his statement. If the bill succeeds, then she will get all the credit, which will immensely boost her electability next term. However, if the bill fails, then the blame will fall solely on her and it will seem as if Frank is distancing himself from her.

"Mandated paid maternity leave is something this country should have, and it doesn't. I would hope this is something women _and _men of both parties can get behind."

"With all due respect Mrs. Vice President, I don't think this is as simple as you are making it out to be." Claire nods and gives a tiny smile.

"I agree. It's going to be hard to get a paid maternity leave package through a Republican-controlled Congress."

"The two of you have powerful friends that I'm sure can help push this package through," Matt offhandedly mentions.

"Sorry?" Claire asks, pretending to be offended by the question. She's waiting for Matt to bring up the Shepherds', which was their plan all along.

"I didn't mean anything by it. It's no secret the two of you have known Bill and Annette Shepherd for years now. Mrs. Underwood, you went to school with Annette if I'm not mistaken."

Frank and Claire lock eyes with one another before redirecting their attention back to Matt.

"Yes, her and I did go to school together years ago. I'm hoping—especially since Annette is a mother herself—she will publicly support this bill."

"Great, I'm sure we will hear more about that from you soon. I have one final question for you that your daughter wanted me to ask." Matt grabs his notebook that he wrote down Emily's question on. "Do you have any names for my baby sister?"

Frank and Claire chuckle at the reporter actually fulfilling Emily's request.

"No, we haven't thought that far yet. Like we've told our daughter many times, we don't know if we are having a boy or girl," Frank answers for them. Matt nods and shuts off the recorder.

"Thank you for your time." Frank and Claire stand up after seeing the reporter start to collect his belongings. Matt reaches over and shakes both of their hands. "If you don't mind, our photographer would like to take some shots."

Matt doesn't want them to know the photographer already snapped some pictures during the interview and the break they took. Frank checks the time on his phone before he agrees. The interview already ran over their scheduled time.

"We have to do this fast," Frank says. He and Claire have meetings lined up the rest of the afternoon. Also, they both hate having their picture taken.

"Great. Let's go then," The photographer, a tall and lanky man, emerges from behind one of the multiple lights set up in the living room. He instructs Claire to sit down in Frank's spot on the couch and have Frank stand behind her. Matt watches a few test shots and sneaks out of the residence without interrupting. "Mr. President, can you put your hand on your wife's shoulder?"

_You flinched. It's like you…recoiled, _Claire hears Frank's voice in her ear reminding her of when he confronted her following their portrait session. She silently tells herself where they were then enormously contrasts where they are today in their marriage.

Frank slides his hand down her shoulder, feeling Claire securely grasp it. The photographer guides them into several different poses quickly and exits the White House with his gear in tow.

"I have to get to my meeting," Frank reminds Claire when they are finally alone in the residence.

"So go," Claire tells him while readjusting his tie. She didn't get a chance to before they started taking pictures. Frank narrow his dark brown eyes at her.

"You look like you want to talk to me about something." Frank mentally runs through the interview they just did, looking for ways he unknowingly exposed them. Claire smirks, he knows her too well.

"I do, but we can discuss it later. Go," Claire gently pushes him towards the door. Frank leans over and kisses her cheek.

Unfortunately, Frank doesn't make it back to the residence before Emily. He can hear their daughter asking Claire a barrage of questions as he approaches them.

"Did they take your picture, Mommy?" Emily asks. Claire nods as she cuts Emily's chicken on her plate.

"They did…hey," Claire says to Frank when she spots him. She gestures for him to take a seat, choosing not to comment on his tardiness again.

"Hey Daddy! How did the talking go?" Emily asks. Frank shrugs and accepts a plate from Claire.

"I think it went well. The reporter asked your question. Claire, we will have to talk to Seth about getting an advanced copy." They would be remiss if they didn't see what was written about them before the general public does.

"I agree. I think Seth is already talking to Matt about it. They want to print it in Sunday's magazine."

There's a lull in conversation, which is unusual when they share a meal with Emily. Frank glances at his daughter, who is avoiding eye contact with him.

"Is something on your mind, Em?" Emily takes a long sip of her milk to stall. He recognizes the tactic from his wife, who does the same with wine when she doesn't want to express herself.

"A teacher at school says you don't want the baby and you are going to leave like Mommy did. Is it true? Are you leaving without me, Daddy?"

The raw vulnerability in Emily's voice makes tears spring to Claire's eyes. She clears her throat and turns away from Emily to dab her eyes with a napkin.

"Oh no, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere. Come here," Frank reaches for Emily who is starting to cry. He didn't realize how his demeanor at their announcement in South Carolina came across to the general public, nor did he want it to affect their daughter. "I wouldn't go anywhere without you."

Emily sniffs and moves slightly in Frank's arms to look at him. Her blue eyes narrow at her father.

"You go places without me and Mommy!" Frank laughs at the way his daughter went from sad to defiant in a matter of seconds.

"True, but I always call you, even when I was in the Jordan Valley."

"_Hey, I'm so glad to hear from you," Claire says into the phone. She was upset that Frank chose to go to the Jordan Valley instead of sticking to her plan with the United Nations. However, she's willing to put that aside until he comes home—knowing because of how unstable the region is—there's a chance he won't. _

"_Me too. I tried to call you earlier, but they said you were unavailable." Claire slides into her bed, wondering what her daughter is doing on the other side with her iPad._

"_It was the middle of the night here, Francis. How are things going with Petrov?" Frank loudly sighs and balances the phone on his shoulder. _

"_Not good. He isn't willing to compromise on anything. I think you were right about coming here, sweetheart." _

"_Well, stick to your guns and give him some time to come around. What you are offering is reasonable. I think Emily wants to talk to you before she's goes to sleep." Claire can picture her husband grinning as she passes the phone._

"_Hey Daddy!" Emily exclaims. It's the first time Claire has seen their daughter smile since Frank left the day before._

"_Hey Em, are you being good for Mommy?" Frank waves off one of his generals coming into the room. He wants time to talk to his daughter. _

"_Yup! I help her wif some stuff in your office." He shakes his head at the thought of his wife moving into the Oval while he's away. _

"_Good."_

"_Daddy, when you comin' home? I miss you," Emily's voice lowers at the end of her sentence._

"_I should be home in a few days. I miss you too. Just keep being good for Mommy and helping us. I love you, Em." _

"_I love you too, Daddy. Here's Mommy." Emily hands the phone back to Claire and listens while her parents talk._

"Your daddy isn't leaving, Emily. I promise," Claire tells their daughter. She wants to find whoever told her daughter that and make them regret it. Emily's eyes flutter over to Claire's and then back to her father's.

"Em, I know it's hard, but a lot of people say mean and untrue things about me and your mom. You can't let it get to you," Frank says. It's a difficult lesson Emily is going to have to learn over and over again in her life.

"Okay, Daddy. Can I have some ice cream? It will help me feel better." Emily says. Claire and Frank smile at their daughter's attempt to profit from the moment with her father earlier. It's a move either one of them would make as well.

"It will? Did you eat any of your dinner?" Frank asks, looking over at Emily's abandoned plate. Claire gets up and walks over to the freezer, pulling out a carton of ice cream she has stashed away.

"Just for tonight, Emily. I'm craving it anyways. Francis, we are almost out." Claire offhandedly informs her husband. She grabs two bowls and spoons before bringing them over to the table.

"No, I believe _you _are almost out."

After Emily is put to bed later on, Frank steps out of her room to find his wife sitting at the windowsill with a lit cigarette in her hand.

"You do know you aren't allowed to smoke those, right?" Frank asks, pointing to the cigarette. He sidles up next to her on the windowsill, confiscating the cigarette from her.

"I wasn't smoking it. I was waiting for you." Claire watches Frank inhale with a tinge of envy in her eyes. Smoking with her husband is one of the things she misses most. At least she can be around him when he does it.

"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" Frank asks, referring to the conversation they were going to have regarding the interview.

"Why did you sidestep Matt's question about the maternity bill?" The interaction has been playing repeatedly in Claire's mind all afternoon. She wishes it didn't happen the way it did, but it would help if her husband would explain his motive behind it.

"I want you to have all the credit." Claire lifts an eyebrow at his explanation, not entirely believing it.

"Or you want me to have all the blame." Frank shakes his head while tapping the cigarette over the cup.

"No. This will succeed for you, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen."

"What if it doesn't?" Frank's eyebrows shoot together as smoke filters out of his mouth.

"Are you having doubts?" Claire shrugs and moves the cup closer to him.

"Not necessarily, but Matt is right…even if we have Bill and Annette's support, it's not going to be easy moving this bill through. I don't want this," Claire puts her hand on her stomach, "to all be for nothing."

Claire watched Frank struggle with receiving support for his America Works initiative for the majority of his first term. She doesn't have the political capital or time to do the same. If this bill fails, it will be another in a long line of her shortcomings during Frank's administration.

"It won't. My twenty-three years in Congress won't go to waste."

Claire doesn't push back on her husband's statement. Hopefully, with her announcement at the event last week and coverage in the upcoming article, politicians will start to see she's serious about the maternity bill. All she needs is for Annette to not actively campaign against it, which might happen.

"Claire, what Emily said earlier, I didn't mean—" Claire stops him before he can issue an apology.

"I know. It got to me more than I thought it would."

"Me too." She's confident her husband learned his lesson about being more careful regarding how they appear in public, especially given the heartbroken expression on his face when Emily asked him if he was leaving.

"I want to find out who put that idiotic idea into her head," Frank says with a clenched fist. Claire puts her hand over his.

"I have an idea of who it could be. I did some digging while you were putting Emily to bed."

"And?" Claire shoots him a mischievous smirk.

"We can start in the morning. I'm going to bed." She leans over and dusts a kiss to his cheek. Frank drops the cigarette into the cup and trails behind her.

"We can schedule a call with Senator Brooks later today. Oh, by the way, sir, the advanced copy of the _New York Times _article is here," Seth says to Frank and points to the glossy magazine on the desk. After bartering back and forth with Matt, Seth managed to get his hands on a final version of the article twenty-four hours before it goes to print.

"Good. Have you read it yet?" Frank asks. They don't have much time to relay their edits to Matt before press time tomorrow.

"Just the first few paragraphs. So far, I really like the way he's portraying the two of you…much better than Tom did." Frank hides an eye roll at the mention of Tom Yates' attempt at writing an expose on his and Claire's marriage.

"Does Claire have a copy?" He wants to go over this with her in case she has any notes.

"You have the only one." Seth dismisses himself as Frank is dialing Claire. She hears her phone ring and walks down the hallway to the Oval.

"We are cutting it close, Francis," Claire mentions after he shows her the magazine.

"I know…apparently there was some pushback on even getting this." Claire grabs the magazine and walks over to the couch, sitting up against the lip. Frank lifts up her legs and rests them in his lap.

"I like this picture of us."

Frank's eyes sweep over the picture chosen for the cover. It's a black-and-white photo of the back of him and Claire taken while they were standing next to each other by the window. Claire has her hand on his back and Frank is looking at her and smiling.

"I do too. I'm glad they didn't go with any of the pictures we took afterwards." He thinks those photos looked of them looked too forced. It's better the photographer secretly captured this natural shot.

Claire flips to the spread about them, surprised by all the pictures they didn't know were taken. There's one of Frank whispering in her ear, another one of them looking at each other on the couch and one of Frank holding Emily at a campaign event a few years ago.

"Admittedly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I stepped inside the inner sanctum of the White House. I thought Frank and Claire Underwood would slip into their personas they have capitalized on since launching their respective political careers in South Carolina nearly three decades ago. Instead, I got a workshop in what it means to be the most powerful couple in the United States." Claire reads from the magazine.

"Keep going," Frank says.

"There came a moment during the course of our interview where I asked the President about his seemingly hesitant attitude regarding his wife's pregnancy. Any other politician would've calmly reassured me that the press got it all wrong—he's overjoyed with the impending arrival of his second child. However, President Underwood chose to address his wife rather than me. His hand reached over, gliding it across the Vice President's stomach and admitted that he's terrified he might lose her to a pregnancy-related complication given their advanced age." Claire pauses to clear her throat. "My hand subconsciously reached down to shut of the recorder because I felt like I was intruding on a private moment between them. And that's when I realized what makes the Underwoods' so successful in the arena of American politics: they have this subtle intimacy and stark honesty that only stems from years of being together—personally and professionally. They co-exist in a way where one could simply not thrive without the other. They are President _and _Vice President. Frank _and _Claire Underwood. They are truly the most formidable couple Pennsylvania Avenue has ever seen. And that's exactly the way they like it."

Claire sets magazine down in her lap and slides her glasses off. Frank leans over to kiss her, accidentally pressing his hand on her stomach. A grunt escapes her lips, causing Frank to immediately retreat.

"Sorry I didn't mean—"

"Do that again." Claire says.

"What?" Claire clutches Frank's hand and pushes it into the exact spot on her stomach where he just was. Moments later, they feel the tiniest flutter against their conjoined hands.

"Did you feel that?" Claire asks her husband as she lets their hands separate. Frank nods as a grin spreads across his lips.

"I love you," Frank whispers and pinches her cheek. Claire leans forward, softly pecking his lips.

"I love you too." Frank reaches across his wife to grab the magazine they were perusing. He wants to make sure the maternity bill is mentioned.

"Matt quoted you directly about Annette," Frank mentions as he skims the article.

"Good. Now she has no choice but to either publicly support the bill or turn her back on the _pregnant _Vice President and other women across the country."

"She's going to come after us for this." Claire nods, unfazed by her husband's comment. She grabs the magazine on Frank's lap and starts flipping through it.

"Let her come. When she does we can give her and Bill two options: either they fall in line and release a statement backing the bill or we will bury them." Frank rubs his hands over Claire's bare legs. He loves the way her cerulean eyes sparkle when they are on the cusp of a scheme.

"I don't know whether to be proud or terrified," He tells her while pinching her cheek. "Perhaps both."

**A/N 2: Remember when I said this fic is only going to be five chapters? Well, I'm not even close to being done with this yet. I figure if you guys keep reviewing, I'll keep writing. I hope everyone can agree to that. And, please, don't be afraid to throw in ideas. I love hearing from you guys on where you want this fic to go! It really helps, I promise. Thank you for taking the time out of your day for reading this. Please stay safe and healthy! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As always, I have to thank you guys for all of the kind reviews that were left for me. I'm glad you like the (sort of) lighter tone I'm taking with this fic. With everything going on, I figured I could show a slightly softer side of our favorite **_**HOC **_**couple. I'm hoping you enjoy the latest chapter. **

**Chapter Five **

"Claire don't…" Frank trails off as he watches his wife catapult herself onto the ledge behind his desk. As she progresses in her pregnancy, he's afraid she's going to actually hurt herself trying to climb onto her favorite spot. Of course, his wife ignores him and manages to hoist herself up completely on her own.

"Francis, I'm fine." She won't allow her husband to placate her in any way, even if she knocked over a few of his picture frames in the process. "Have we heard anything about the article?"

It's been a month since the _New York Times _published their piece on Frank and Claire and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People have forgotten about the story questioning their marriage in the _Herald_ and have refocused their energy on Claire's pregnancy. Many have praised her for being so honest about her struggle—and ultimate success—of getting pregnant at such a late age. Unfortunately, their maternity bill isn't gaining any traction, which is probably why they haven't heard from Annette Shepherd like they expected.

"No. I think you might have to sit down with her and apply some…pressure." Claire made it abundantly clear she isn't letting her bill go, and it would help exponentially if she had someone like Annette publicly supporting it.

"Okay. I saw on the schedule that we are going to Dallas next week." Frank lets out an exasperated sigh at the mention of their upcoming appearance in his wife's home state.

"I know you don't want to go, but they are honoring your mother. We fly in, say a few words and fly out the next day." Claire's mother is being honored posthumously for her donations to the Dallas branch of the American Cancer Society. Claire's invited to speak at the gala they are having.

"Fine. Mother openly hated half of the people on the board. I don't know why they are honoring her at all." Frank lets out a tiny chuckle at the expense of his now-deceased mother-in-law.

"I'm sure they want us to increase the donation." Claire quirks an eyebrow. "We can bring Emily." Frank watches a frown curl on his wife's lips and regrets bringing it up. He knows their daughter attributes Dallas to the place where Claire took her after they left him. Emily sees it as somewhere to seek refuge when her parents aren't getting along.

"Good idea, Francis." Claire abruptly hops off the ledge and stands in front of her husband.

"Where are you going?" They have a briefing in ten minutes he thought she was going to attend.

"I have my twenty-week appointment with Dr. Larsen." Frank's chestnut eyes widen with concern.

"Why? Is something wrong?" His hand skims over her rounded abdomen, feeling a momentarily flutter. He never attended any doctor appointments with Claire when she was pregnant with Emily unless there was a problem. The fact she's mentioning it to him raises an alarm.

"No. It's routine." It's interesting to see her husband briefly snap into worried, expectant father mode. His hand falls away from her stomach and he leans back into his chair. The concern dissipates from his face, and he becomes the president again.

Claire walks away from him and crosses the room, turning around to face him as a thought bubbles to the surface of her mind.

"She's going to ask if we want to know the gender. Should I tell her to keep it to herself?" They didn't find out with Emily until Claire went into preterm labor during her seventh month. A tech doing an ultrasound let it slip they were having a girl.

"I have no preference if you want to know or not." He would rather keep one degree of separation between them and the baby in case Claire ends up losing it, but he won't fight his wife on the issue.

"I think we should find out, to prepare Emily." Their daughter is going to be devastated if the baby ends up being a boy, but there's nothing Claire and Frank can do. This can serve as a good life lesson for Emily.

"I like the idea. And Claire?"

"Yes, Francis?"

"Make sure Dr. Larsen _actually _clears you to fly. My understanding is you only have about a month left before you should stop travelling." Claire narrows her cerulean eyes at her husband. Travel restrictions for pregnant women isn't something he just _knows. _

"Have the two of you been chatting? Is there anything I should be aware of?" Frank realizes he overplayed his hand and tries to walk back his comment.

"She wanted to make it clear to me that I wasn't supposed to let you travel beyond the six-month mark, which is fast approaching. Apparently, she thinks you are too stubborn to listen to her medical advice."

"I'll have my Seth look over my schedule with my assistants." Claire completely glosses over her husband's remark because he is just as—if not more—stubborn than she is. Frank watches his wife leave while rolling his eyes.

"Daddy, come here!" Emily exclaims when she sees her dad walk into the residence later that night. Frank barely has time to put his briefcase down before Emily starts pulling on his hand.

"Hold on, Em." Claire watches Emily bounce excitedly next to her husband from her spot on the couch. Frank allows Emily to grab his hand again and brings him over to where Claire is sitting.

"Sit." Emily points next to the cushion next to her mother. Frank obliges and Emily hops onto his lap. "Give me your hand." Emily puts grabs her father's hand and puts it on Claire's stomach, gently pushing on it.

Since Claire showed Emily the baby moving a few weeks ago, the five-year-old has become _obsessed. _Claire misses the days when Emily was suctioned to Frank instead of her.

"What do think that is?" Emily asks after feeling movement under her and her father's hands. Frank slips his hand out of Emily's grasp after a few moments.

"I don't know. It's hard to tell. Maybe he's just moving around," Claire answers for Emily. Frank picks up on his wife assigning a gender to their child, something she hasn't done before.

"He?" Frank mouths to Claire over Emily's head. Their daughter hasn't noticed it yet. Emily withdraws her hand from Claire's stomach and leans back into her dad's chest.

They are having a son, which isn't what Frank wanted. He wanted another girl—another relationship like he has with Emily. He never liked or respected his father, and he didn't want to perpetuate the cycle with a son.

"Francis?" Claire sees the concealed disappointment on her husband's face. Honestly, he thought he would be ambivalent. Hopefully, he can keep his feelings to himself because Emily will be looking to him for cues as to how to react.

"What?" Emily glances up at him, wondering where the harshness of his tone came from. Claire furrows her eyebrows at him.

"I was thinking we should tell Emily." Claire gestures to their daughter, who's rapidly losing interest with this conversation.

"Right. Em, your mom went to the doctor today and found out the baby is a boy. So that means you are getting a brother instead of a sister."

Emily's blue eyes become glassy with tears as a pout forms on her face. She crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head.

"Mommy, I wanted a sister," Emily whines. Claire shakes her head at their daughter's rapid slide into a temper tantrum.

"We told you before, your dad and I don't get a choice in whether the baby is a boy or a girl. You knew that." Their daughter is like them in the sense that she's used to getting what she wants. Learning that's not always the case is going to be difficult for the five-year-old to accept.

"I don't want it anymore. You can send it back," Emily says. Frank feigns a cough to cover his laughter. Claire isn't finding this as amusing. She had a feeling Emily would've been more accepting of a sibling had it been a girl. Now that she knows it's a boy, this is not going to be an easy transition for them.

"Emily you have—" Claire starts, but Frank interrupts her.

"Em, I think it's better that you are getting a brother." Emily sniffs while Claire tilts her head.

"Why?" Emily skeptically asks.

"Well, that means you are going to be our _only _girl. And you don't have to share your girl clothes or toys with your brother. And you will be our _only _daughter…and my _only _vice, vice president."

Claire softly smiles when she realizes what Frank is trying to accomplish with Emily, she just wishes she thought it of it beforehand.

"Do I get to be president first?" Emily asks.

"Of course. You are older, so you can be the first one," Claire answers for her and Frank. The five-year-old smirks at the thought and Claire knows they've fully convinced her.

After Emily's put to bed, Claire takes a bath and slides under the covers while Frank wraps up his cigarette in the living room. He changes into his pajamas and joins her a half an hour later.

"Emily…you're good with her," Claire tells him. Frank leans over and brushes a kiss to her cheek. "You looked about as excited as she did when I said it's going to be a boy, Francis."

"Are you upset?" Frank asks because he can't tell if he hurt Claire's feelings or she's merely making an observation. He leans his head on her shoulder with his other hand coming around to rest on her abdomen.

"No." Claire tilts her head down so it's brushing up against his. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you not…satisfied?"

"My father died when I was young, and I never liked him. He was weak." Frank retracts his hand from Claire and lets it fall by his side instead.

"But you're not. We can't lead with fear, Francis." She's right, and he knows that she is. Reminding her that she went through the exact gamut of emotions when she found out they were having a daughter as he is now is futile. They are so desperate not to turn into their parents that it unintentionally blinds them on occasion.

"I know." He holds out his hand for her to clasp. She interlocks their fingers and they sit in silence, enjoying each other's company.

"When are you meeting with Annette?" Frank asks Claire while they are sitting in the Oval nearly a week later. Claire shifts in her seat after feeling an uncomfortable twinge in her back. "What is it?"

"Nothing…we are supposed to meet later this afternoon." Frank eyes her with suspicion. Before he can ask, Doug bursts into the room looking rather pleased with himself.

Since the article broke, Frank and Claire have tasked Doug with digging up some dirt on the Shepherds—particularly with Annette. They haven't found much that Claire couldn't already tell them. Bill and Annette are masters of hiding their skeletons, but Frank and Claire are better at uncovering them.

"What did you find?" Frank asks. Doug slides a file his way. Claire stands up and rounds the corner, so she is hovering over her husband's shoulder. "Can this be confirmed?"

"Definitely, sir. We have people who are willing to go on the record," Doug says. Frank shifts his eyes over to his wife, who is smirking.

"Did you know about this?" Frank asks Claire.

"No, but it doesn't surprise me. If we use this Francis, she's going to hit back against us." For as much as Frank and Claire love gaining the upper hand on people like Annette, they always have to remember they have more to lose than their adversaries.

"It might be worth presenting her with this, so she's aware of what you have," Doug reminds the First Couple. Frank nods in agreement. If they can barter with Annette, it serves them more than exposing her.

"Doug's right, Claire. All we need is a statement of endorsement. She can't vote one way or another," Frank reminds his wife. For Claire, this is personal—and Frank wishes it weren't.

"I know, Francis." Claire refuses to lose her objectivity when it comes to Annette because that's exactly what she wants. She did it before with Adam Galloway and it blew up in her face. Claire won't make the same mistake again.

"Do you think Annette has something on you?" Doug asks Frank and Claire. They shake their heads.

"Why would you—?" Frank asks, only to be cut off by his chief of staff.

"Why else would Annette hold the meeting? She obviously hasn't changed her mind."

"It's a possibility, but Annette's not foolish. She knows how to manipulate the press. If she had something damaging, she would've released it by now," Claire says. Frank semi-agrees with his wife. Doug has a valid concern. Annette would have nothing to gain by listening to Claire when she's already decided she's not going to support the bill.

"Just be careful," Frank warns Claire.

"Always. Thanks, Doug." Claire leaves the Oval and heads into her own office to prepare for her meeting with Annette.

"Thank you for coming," Claire says to Annette after she clears security. The two haven't seen or spoken to each other since the announcement in South Carolina. Annette and Claire sit in chairs across from each other in one of the White House's many conference rooms.

"Why aren't we in your office?" Annette asks. She eyes Claire's bump with a frown before meeting her eyes.

"I didn't want anyone to interrupt us," Claire says. There's always assistants and various interns hovering in the West Wing, eager to get snippets of information on the First Couple. Claire would rather have this meeting kept off the books and away from everyone.

"I see you are still pregnant. I thought for sure you would've had another 'miscarriage' now that your bill is dying in the House." Claire smiles and folds her hands over her stomach. Annette sees behind the façade Claire's been feeding to the general public. And if Annette had any proof, she would go to the press about Claire's fake miscarriages.

"Why won't you support the bill, Annette? It's a step forward for women in this country." Annette scoffs,

"It's a poison-pill to the economy. We shouldn't be encouraging women to have children just to take paid time off. That sets a dangerous and unrealistic precedent." Claire interlaces her fingers and sets them on the table.

"We are the only modernized country in the world who doesn't have it. I think we are setting ourselves backwards when we should be moving forwards."

"Tell that to the millions of corporations around this country who don't have the money to sustain themselves when women start taking time off to raise their children."

"Speaking of children, let's talk about Duncan." Claire is referring to Annette's teenage son. She slides a folder over to Annette, who peruses its contents. "He's not yours, is he?"

Annette feels her face heat up and tries to keep her face neutral.

"No. His mother is a housekeeper who became pregnant. I took Duncan in."

"It'd be a shame if he found out that you've been lying to him all these years. He's not really a Shepherd, is he?" Claire muses.

"What about Emily?" Annette asks, as a last-ditch effort to distract Claire. Claire's back goes rim-rod straight. Her eyes lose their playful glint to them.

"What about her?"

"Her blue eyes reminded me of a certain photographer _friend _of yours. There's no way she's Frank's child. And what about this one?" Annette gestures to Claire's stomach. "I know the two of you aren't sleeping together." Claire scoffs at Annette's attempt at blowing smoke.

"Anyone looking at Emily can tell she's Francis' daughter. As for this baby, we've been honest about how we conceived him, and we're willing to release medical records to prove it."

"I slept with him once," Annette offhandedly says.

"Who? Adam?"

"No. Your husband." Claire stills for the slightest moment. Frank never mentioned he had sex with Annette.

"Support the bill or I will tell Duncan myself where he came from." Annette stands up and grabs her black tote from the chair next to her.

"Kill the bill, for Emily's sake. I would hate for you to have to explain away another affair." Annette walks out of the room without waiting for a response from Claire.

Claire rocks back and forth in her chair, anger seeping out of every pore. She came into this meeting expecting for Annette to walk away with her tail between her legs. Instead, Claire realizes they are more vulnerable now than ever before. She reaches for her phone near her and dials Doug.

"It's me, release it," Claire says into the phone. She doesn't bother waiting for her husband's approval. Annette will counter with her sleeping with Frank, but they can easily explain that away to the press.

"Are you sure?" Doug asks.

"Do it." Claire hangs up and takes a few deep breaths. She's breaking a quintessential rule in her marriage, but Frank did as well when he failed to disclose he slept with Annette.

Frank pops into her office an hour after her meeting with Annette. Claire is watching the news story about Duncan's true lineage with a smirk on her face.

"Was this us?" Frank asks. He approaches her desk and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Yes. She left me no choice." Claire realizes why her husband is in here. His posture indicates he's upset about not being in the loop on this decision, just like she expected.

"And you didn't think it was important to tell me because…?"

"Probably for the same reason you decided not to tell me about sleeping with Annette." Frank glares at her. They are better than taking cheap shots at each other.

"It was when we first started dating. I should've told you, but I didn't."

"She's going to retaliate. Most likely with the two of you sleeping together." Frank comprehends the underlying meaning of what Claire is saying: _you exposed us. _

Frank sighs and sits down in the chair across from his wife's desk. Claire got them into this fight with the Shepherds, but he didn't help by not being completely transparent.

"Should we tell Emily?" Frank asks. They don't want their child to be blindsided if Annette does decide to talk to the media.

"Not yet. I want to see what she will do first." Frank nods and stands up, walking over to Claire's side of the desk. He pinches her cheek, his way of apologizing.

"We will get this bill passed, with or without Annette's support." Claire leans into his touch. She nods and watches him leave.

Frank is the first one to get back to the residence that night and asks the chef to make them dinner, so Claire doesn't have to.

"Daddy, I don't want to go to Dallas," Emily tells her father out-of-the-blue. Frank is skimming a speech while Emily is sitting next to him on her iPad.

"Why not?" Frank asks as he sets the papers on his lap.

"I don't like Gamma," Emily quietly admits. Claire walks into the residence, smiling softly to herself at her husband and daughter hanging out together.

"Claire, Em doesn't want to go to Dallas tomorrow," Frank tells his wife. Claire nods and sits on the other side of Emily on the couch.

"Why not?" Claire asks their daughter, not knowing Frank already asked her.

"I don't like Gamma, Mommy. She was mean to me," Emily whispers. The five-year-old is forgetting that Elizabeth is dead.

"Emily, your grandmother isn't alive anymore. We can't see her," Claire gently reminds Emily. "And Daddy is coming with us too."

Emily hasn't been to Dallas with both her parents and Claire thinks that's why she's apprehensive to go back.

"We are going as a family, Em," Frank says to reinforce his wife's point.

"Okay. Can I bring Bunny?" Emily asks. Frank and Claire have been trying to ease Emily off of relying on her rabbit for comfort.

"I think we can reserve a seat for Bunny, just this once," Claire says. Emily perks up at the mention of her stuffed animal coming along for the trip. "Oh, Francis, before I forget, I'll have to meet you on the plane tomorrow. Dr. Larsen wants to see me beforehand."

Frank's ears perk up and his eyes dart from his daughter to his wife.

"Is something wrong?" Claire skims her hand over her stomach.

"She ran some tests last week and she wants to give me fluids before the flight. She said it's a precaution."

"Are you sure?" Frank asks. If they have to cancel last minute, he would rather do so than Claire risk her health for an event they don't even want to attend.

"Yes. She can administer them on the plane before we take off."

"Hi Mommy!" Emily exclaims as she steps on the plane the next day. Claire is already seated with an IV in her arm. Dr. Larsen is hovering close by, watching Claire for any signs of distress. Frank is a step behind Emily, chatting with Doug about something. "What is that?" The toddler is very skittish around needles, given the Red Cross incident a few years ago.

"Medicine," Claire explains. Frank sits on the armrest next to his wife. Emily sets Bunny down on a nearby chair and stands next to Dr. Larsen.

"Is my wife okay to fly?" Frank directs his question to Dr. Larsen instead of Claire.

"Of course, Mr. President. Like I told Claire, I'm just airing on the safe side since some tests came back a little lower than I would like to see."

The pilot steps out of the cockpit to inform everyone he is cleared for takeoff.

"I can take this out. You should be good to go," Dr. Larsen informs Claire. Claire grabs Frank's hand while the doctor slides the needle out of the crook of her arm. "Do you feel okay? Any dizziness or nausea?"

"No. Thank you for making a special trip," Claire tells the doctor.

"Of course. I want to see you when you get back. Mr. President, Emily," Dr. Larsen excuses herself off the plane. Emily waves to the doctor, having seen her a few times at the residence with her mom.

"Let's get going," Frank tells the pilot. They have a tight schedule in Dallas since they are only going to be there for twenty-four hours. Within a few minutes, the plane is ascending.

"I'll be in my office with Doug if you need anything," Frank tells Claire. Emily is already set up with a movie.

"Okay." Claire spreads out her work in the main cabin, letting Frank and Doug strategize in the office. Several minutes later, Claire stands up and goes into the bathroom. When she stands up to wash her hands, she's caught of guard by a sharp pain rolling through her stomach. "Ah." Claire uses one hand to grab onto the sink while the other sits on her abdomen. She shuts her eyes, wiling the pain to subside.

Claire waits until she can stand up straight to leave the bathroom. Hopefully, what she just experienced was nothing more than Braxton Hicks, a minor type of contraction possible during pregnancy.

Emily glances up when her mom slowly walks back to her chair. The five-year-old pauses her movie and grabs her rabbit.

"Mommy, you okay?" Emily asks, noting the queasy expression on her mom's face. Claire sits down carefully and puts her hands on her abdomen.

"Yes, I'm fine. Keep watching your movie." Not more than ten minutes later, Claire is bombarded with another intense pain in her stomach. She gasps, which captures Emily's attention.

"Mommy!" Claire is nearly doubled over in pain. Emily throws down her iPad and rushes over to Claire's side, not knowing what to do.

"Emily…go get your…Dad," Claire can barely form her sentence. It feels like a knife is being shoved into her lower stomach. Emily runs down the aisle of the plane, barreling into Frank's office.

"Em, we are in the middle…" Frank trails off when he notices her daughter is near tears.

"Something is wrong with Mommy, Daddy!" Emily says. Frank can see through the open door of his office that Claire is hunched over. He brushes past Emily and rushes to his wife's side.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" Frank asks. Claire tilts her head back into the headrest of the plane seat. She grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I think…I'm in labor," Claire mumbles. Frank's mouth springs open. Emily is standing behind him, watching in fear as her mom moans in pain.

"What?" Frank asks. Claire waits until the aching in her stomach dissolves before she speaks.

"Francis, something is wrong."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Emily, stay with your mom," Frank gives Emily a job to give her something to focus on.

"Hurry," Claire mutters. Frank hustles into his office to grab Doug.

"Doug, I need you to tell the pilot to land the plane, now. Something is wrong with Claire. Have an ambulance waiting to take us to the nearest hospital. This cannot wait. We will explain what happened later."

Doug immediately springs into action and starts talking to the necessary people. Frank makes his way back over to Claire. He grabs her hand, interlocking their fingers together.

"We are landing the plane. There's going to be an ambulance there to take us to the hospital." Frank tells Claire. Claire nods as she bites her lip. Emily is standing a few feet away, looking at Claire with fear.

"It's okay, Emily. Your brother wants to come, but it's too soon," Claire explains. Emily feebly nods.

Doug comes into the main cabin, looking from Emily, to Frank, and then to Claire.

"It's going to be at least a half an hour before we can get on the ground. We are landing at an airfield in Huntington, West Virginia," Doug informs them.

"That long?" Claire asks. With how strong her contractions are, she doesn't think she will be able to make it until then.

"It's the best we can do without risking deoxygenating the plane," Doug says. Frank glances at his wife, who is doing her best to hold it together.

"Tell him to do whatever he has to do to get us safely on the ground as fast as he can," Frank tells Doug.

"Yes, sir," Doug walks purposefully into the cockpit while Frank stays with Claire and Emily. Emily sits next to her mom and hands Claire her rabbit. Frank holds his wife's hand, waiting for another contraction to hit her.

"It's too soon," Claire mumbles. Frank nods in agreement. Claire is only five months pregnant.

"We'll figure this out." He has a feeling the baby isn't going to make it through this. His wife's fear of losing their child is coming true.

Frank sees the pain bubble to the surface of his wife's face and tightens his grip on her hand. Claire shuts her eyes and rolls her lips together.

"Doug! We have to land now!" Frank shouts. He rubs Claire's back, letting her rest her hand on his shoulder. Emily runs and grabs Claire some ice after being told to do so by Frank.

"I don't care! The First Lady is in labor. Do you really want to be responsible for killing her child?" Doug asks the pilot. He's willing to land the plane himself if need be.

Frank and Claire feel the plane rapidly descending. Emily gives the bowl of ice to her father and sits back down next to her mother. Claire rides out the latest contraction and lets Frank brush some hair stuck to her forehead away.

"You're doing great," Frank whispers to her. He's trying to keep his wife and daughter calm at the same time. He relies on what he did when she was giving birth to Emily. Claire lets out a deep breath and buckles herself in. Frank and Emily do the same.

"Francis, if it comes down to it…save me," Claire softly tells him so Emily doesn't hear. Frank nods and skims his thumb over her hand.

The plane touches down and medics immediately board the plane so they can get Claire loaded into the ambulance. She's had another contraction, closer together than the previous ones.

"I'll follow you in the car with Emily. You need to go," Frank tells Claire. She nods and allows a paramedic to assist her off the plane. Frank, Doug and Emily hop into an SUV that trails the ambulance to the hospital.

When they arrive at the hospital, Claire is already taken into a private room. Frank has Doug stay with Emily while he goes back to be with Claire.

"Doug, do you think my brother is coming today?" Emily asks Doug. The two of them never get to spend one-on-one time together, which is what Doug prefers.

"I don't know," Doug responds and goes back to checking his phone. Emily frowns and grabs her iPad.

"Where's Francis?" Claire asks, scarcely able to string words together. She's being hooked up to machines while various doctors and nurses scramble around her. Frank is let into the room so he can stand next to his wife.

"Whatever you do, Mrs. Underwood, don't push," A male nurse informs Claire. Claire nods and clenches her jaw. "We are giving you drugs to counteract the labor."

Frank grabs her hand and Claire yanks away from him to throw up. One of the nurses comes around to assist Claire while a doctor pulls Frank aside.

"We need to give her a sedative to calm her down," A female, African American doctor tells Frank. "For some reason, her body is acting like it's in labor, but I can tell by looking at her that she's not full term."

"No, she's only five months, last week. It started when we were on the plane."

"Mr. President, if we can't stop this, she's going to deliver the baby. If she's only 21 weeks, there's only a ten percent chance the baby will survive. What do you want to do?"

_If it comes down to it, save me, _Frank hears Claire's voice in his ear. She's told him before she won't sacrifice herself to save their child, and he won't let her.

"If you need to make a choice, save Claire. Focus on her." The doctor pauses for a half a second to look at him, but they are snapped into action by a wince from Claire. Frank goes to Claire's side while the doctor prepares the sedative. Claire clamps down on his hand and does whatever she can to fight the urge to push.

"Alright, Claire, we are giving you a sedative," the same doctor who spoke to Frank tells Claire. "If this doesn't work, we have to deliver the baby." The longer the baby is in distress like this, the more risk it poses to Claire. They will have no choice but to let Claire give birth.

"Okay," Claire whispers. Frank grabs a nearby washcloth to wipe Claire's forehead. She's still wearing the same gray dress she was admitted with. Her makeup is slightly smudged, and her cheeks are flushed. He brushes a kiss to the side of her head. Claire allows her body to feel the effects of the sedative and slowly loosens her grip on Frank's hand.

"She's out," a nurse announces when Claire's eyes flutter closed.

"I want her admitted and constantly monitored. I want a CBC, and nobody is allowed in her room except for the people in this room," the doctor snaps. "Page me the second she's awake." A team of nurses' transfer Claire to another bed and wheel her out of the room.

"What's going on? Did you stop the labor?" Frank asks the doctor he's been conversing with.

"For now. It's possible that we haven't stopped it all the way. She might still be having minor contractions, but the sedative will give her the chance to relax. Mr. President, there's a chance this was…intentional."

"You mean someone did this to her?" Frank asks. His mind immediately flips to Dr. Larsen who was giving Claire "fluids" before they left Washington.

"I don't want to say for sure until we know, but the only time I've seen labor come on that fast is with a drug called Pitocin. Your wife had to have been given a lot of it in a short amount of time for something like this to happen. We will know more in a few hours. She's being taken up to the fourth floor if you would like to be with her."

"Thank you for all your help," Frank tells the doctor and goes to find Emily and Doug.

"Is Mommy okay?" Emily asks the second she sees Frank.

"We think so. She's being taken upstairs so the doctors can run more tests." Frank picks Emily up, despite the minor pulling sensation he gets from his scar.

"Did they say what happened?" Doug asks.

"They think Claire was given a drug called Pitocin that started all of this. I need you to do a complete background check on her doctor, Dr. Larsen. Let me know what you find," Frank tells Doug. Doug gives him a clipped nod and grabs his things.

"I'll be at the hotel if you need anything." Doug arranged for him, Secret Service and the Underwoods' to stay a nearby hotel for a couple of days.

"Thanks Doug."

Frank and Emily are left at the hospital, waiting for any news on Claire.

"Do you want to get some ice cream?" Frank asks Emily in an effort to take her mind off of what happened to her mom. Emily nods and scoops up her stuffed animal, tucking it under her arm.

A couple hours later, Frank and Emily are hanging out in Claire's room while she is still resting. A fetal monitor is encompassed around her bare abdomen and nurses are constantly in and out to check on her.

"Mr. President, can I speak with you?" Another doctor, an older, Asian man asks Frank. Emily is fast asleep in the chair next to him while Claire is starting to wake up.

"Sure." Frank follows the doctor out of the room while a nurse steps in to assess Claire as she regains consciousness. "What's going on?"

"I just wanted to say that we ran some tests, and your wife and the twins are just fine." Frank breathes a sigh of relief.

"Oh good…wait, did you say twins? Are you sure your talking about my wife?" He blanches at the mention of two babies. Claire didn't say anything about them having twins.

"Your wife is Claire Underwood, right?" The doctor pretends to double check the chart in his hands. Frank whips around, watching a nurse perform an ultrasound on Claire.

"She didn't—" The doctor gives him a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry, Mr. President. Apparently, your wife woke up while you were on the phone and asked the nurse to put a note in her chart about twins. She promised a sizeable donation to the hospital if we mentioned it to you." Frank rolls his eyes. Claire would do something like that.

"They are fine though, right?" Frank asks, getting back to the issue at hand.

"I want to make sure the ultrasound comes back clean before I make any promises. The fact that she didn't report anything when she woke up—and the machine agrees with her—is a good sign. If everything goes well overnight, I can release her tomorrow."

"Thank you." Frank leaves the doctor to go back into the room. Emily is sitting next to Claire in her bed, watching the nurse do the ultrasound. "Twins, huh?"

Claire grins and waves him over. Frank shoves his hands in his pockets and stands next to the bed. His eyes concentrate on the screen. This is the first ultrasound he's seen with either of their children.

"Look Emily, there's your brother," Claire tells Emily, pointing to the image on the screen.

"He's so…small," Emily says with disappointment. Frank and Claire laugh as the nurse removes the probe from her stomach.

"Everything checks out, Mrs. Underwood. I'll give you some time." The nurse wheels the machine out of the room and lowers the blinds for privacy.

"How do you feel?" Frank asks Claire, not expecting an honest answer.

"Sore…tired." Claire says. "Emily, can you play on your iPad for a minute? I want to talk to Daddy about something."

"Okay," Emily grabs up her iPad and sits on the ottoman by Claire's bed. Frank hands her the headphones to wear so him and Claire can talk freely.

"Dr. Larsen injected me with Pitocin. That's why this happened," Claire informs him. She got the blood tests results back shortly after waking up.

"That's what the doctor told me while they were taking you upstairs. That doesn't make any sense. Why would she do that?" From what Frank could tell, Claire seemed to like Dr. Larsen, which is rare for her. He doesn't understand why the physician would betray them.

"Annette did this, Francis. She got to Dr. Larsen." Frank nods. What Claire is saying makes perfect sense. Annette would stoop this low if it meant getting what she wants—he and Claire would too.

"What do you want to do?" Frank asks. They won't let Annette do something like this to them without retaliating. Claire smiles, thinking of the recording she took of her meeting with Annette yesterday.

"I want her to suffer."

**A/N 2: I'm sorry if I got any of the medical facts wrong, I'm not in that particular field. I hope you liked this chapter. When I was watching season six, I thought about what Frank would do if he was on the plane with Claire. Thank you for reading and please leave your thoughts! And, please stay safe and healthy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You guys know I have to say thank you for the reviews every time, so I will just get that out of the way. Thank you! I don't know if it's the quarantine that's getting to me, or the fact that I've been re-watching the first two seasons of **_**HOC, **_**but I think I'm turning into a softy. I had to dial it back a little while writing this to still keep Frank and Claire (relatively) in character. Anyway, I will let you guys be the judge…here's chapter six. **

**Chapter Six**

If one more person asks Claire how she feels—and she includes her husband in this—she might snap. It's been less than twenty-four hours since the plane incident, and Claire is ready to go back to Washington. Or—at the very least—get discharged from the hospital.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Underwood, we can't release you until your husband gets here," a nurse says. Reminding this nurse that she's the vice president of the United States will do little. Thankfully, she sees Frank and Emily walking towards her room chatting amongst themselves. "I'll get your discharge forms."

"Thank you," the nurse switches place with Frank and Emily.

"Hi Mommy!" Emily exclaims. Claire notices Emily hangs back by her father instead of running over to the bed. Her eyes float up to her husband's and he nods.

"You look exhausted," Claire comments to Frank. He changed his suit, but it's wrinkled from sitting in the luggage.

"So do you," Frank shoots back. She looks better than yesterday, but she's still wearing the same clothes and hasn't showered. For Claire, this is about as unkempt as she can get.

"They kept waking me up every hour to ask me how I was feeling." Frank rolls his lips together to keep the laughter contained in his mouth. "Francis, it's not funny." He reaches over to pinch her cheek.

"I know. You can sleep on the plane." Claire's eyes divert to Emily, who's holding her rabbit. The five-year-old is understandably shaken by yesterday's events, but Claire wants Emily to bring it up. She doesn't want to force her daughter to talk about if she isn't ready.

The same doctor who told Frank about the supposed twins comes into the room, breaking Claire's staring contest with Emily.

"Hello Mrs. Vice President. How are you and the twins?" The doctor asks. Claire laughs into her hand after seeing the annoyed expression on Frank's face.

"We are fine, and ready to go."

"Any pain?" Claire shakes her head. "Nausea?" Another shake of her head. "Overnight, I didn't see any contractions on the monitor, nor did I see any problems on the ultrasound. You are good to go. However, I want you to ease back into work. Take the rest of the day off, and maybe do half days the rest of the week. If there's any bleeding, pain or you just don't feel right, go to the hospital." The doctor leans over to sign Claire's discharge form. "Any questions?"

Frank folds his arms across his chest and looks down at Emily. His daughter is quiet and hasn't stopped looking at Claire since they got into the room.

"No. Francis?"

"No. I will keep an eye on her." The doctor shakes hands with Frank and excuses himself out of the room. "We have a plane waiting. I need to get back to Washington."

Claire nods and gets out of the bed. Immediately, Emily walks over and takes her mother's hand. Frank or Claire don't comment on it. Their daughter needs to work through this on her own timetable. Pushing her won't help the situation.

When they get on the plane, Frank insists Claire take a nap in the bedroom. Instead of being in the office with her father, Emily elects to stay with Claire.

"Are you sure, Emily? Daddy might need your help," Claire tells Emily. She isn't used to Emily wanting to be by her side constantly. After Frank's surgery, Emily went through a similar phase with him. Emily shakes her head and glances apologetically at her father.

"I wanna stay with you," Emily insists. Claire accepts her daughter's answer and disappears into the bedroom with Emily, shutting the door behind her. It doesn't take long for Claire and Emily to fall asleep.

They are on the ground in less than an hour. Since Claire and Emily haven't come out of the bedroom, Frank tells Doug to go on without him. He knocks on the door, opening it just a crack. Emily is curled up next to Claire with her hand resting on the side of her mother's stomach. Claire has her arm outstretched over Emily. Frank hates to wake them up, but they can't stay on the plane.

"Hey," Frank whispers. He leans down and skims his hand up Claire's thigh, resting on her hip. "Claire, wake up." Frank nudges her gently, causing Claire to abruptly awaken. Emily stirs at the movement from her mother.

"We're in Washington?" Claire asks, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Our flight was only an hour," Frank says. When Claire was in the thick of her contractions, each minute seemed to drag on. In reality, from the time of her first contraction to when they landed was less than forty-five minutes. Frank holds out his hand, watching Claire grab it and lift herself up. Emily hops off the bed and grabs her tiny suitcase.

"When do we meet with Annette?" Claire asks. She knows her husband—the second they were in the air, he asked Doug to schedule a meeting with Annette. Frank gestures for his wife to start walking off the plane. Emily catches up and grabs Claire's hand again.

"We are meeting with her the day after tomorrow." Claire raises her eyebrows.

"Why did she agree to a meeting so soon?" Their emergency landing in West Virginia has been all over the news. Claire watched the coverage from her hospital bed last night. Annette had to have seen it.

"I told her that we are willing to compromise on the maternity bill." Frank gives a nod of appreciation at the steward who takes their bags from them. Claire steps into the residence first with Frank on her tail.

"You don't mean…?" Claire's voice trails off when her husband shakes his head. She won't accept anything less than the bill passing in its complete form, without any revisions or additions. "Good."

"Get some sleep. I'll be in the Oval," Frank tells his wife. Claire tilts her head towards Emily. She's hoping Frank can cajole their daughter into going with him so she can actually relax. "Em, would you like to come with me for a little bit?"

Emily shakes her head and steps closer to Claire, wrapping her arm around her mother's leg. Frank rarely extends the offer for Emily to join him in the Oval. They don't want their daughter interfering with their day-to-day work. For Emily not to accept is more than concerning.

"I wanna stay with Mommy, Daddy."

"Your mom will be sleeping for a while. She's not working today." He doubts his wife will actually listen to what the doctor told her about having the day off, but she won't be allowed in her office. Any work will have to be done in limited capacity at the residence.

"I know. I wanna stay with her." Their stubborn daughter has the same deep-seeded concern about Claire that Frank possesses.

"Okay. I will see you two later, then." Frank gives Emily a hug goodbye and kisses Claire's cheek. "I have my ringer on. Call me if you need to."

"Francis—"

"I know, Claire." He won't gloss over the seriousness of what happened yesterday. His wife just has to accept he's going to be more cautious than usual.

By the time Frank gets back to the residence several hours later, Claire is showered and in her pajamas. She has several files spread out on the bed and is typing away at her computer. Frank shakes his head and quickly checks on Emily. The five-year-old is fast asleep, holding her rabbit securely in her balled-up fist.

"Hey," Frank says as he's leaning up against the door frame. Claire finishes typing something and looks up at him over her glasses.

"Hey. I'm almost done." Frank won't tell her that she's not supposed to be working because she won't listen. He merely nods and walks into the bathroom to take a shower. When he comes out, Claire powers down her laptop and slips out of bed. He can hear her walk into the kitchen, grab something from the fridge and then come back into the bedroom.

"Ice cream?" Frank asks. So far, his wife has craved ice cream with both pregnancies and not much else. Claire lays back under the covers and digs into the ice cream. "How was your day with Em?"

"She's so scared, Francis. I don't want her to be like this for much longer." Claire is a big proponent of facing your fears head on, but their daughter is only five.

"Claire, watching you in labor wasn't easy for me, I can't imagine how it must've been for Emily."

"You think I'm being too hard on her." Frank reaches over and takes the spoon out of Claire's hands, grabbing a bite for himself.

"No. I just think we should…give her some time." Claire takes the spoon back and takes a few more bites before returning it to the freezer. Frank holds his arm out for her and smiles as she scoots closer to him. His hand swings around to rest on her stomach, running it back and forth. Claire lets her head fall onto his shoulder while her hand reaches across his chest.

"Francis, did you want me to lose the baby?" Claire asks out-of-the-blue. She can feel a steady rhythm of kicks where her husband's hand is. Frank's hand stops moving, and he glances down at her.

"Why on Earth would you ask me that?" His tone indicates he's upset, but Claire doesn't take her question back.

"I know what you said about the baby earlier, and it's okay if you did. I just want to know." She won't punish him for being honest, especially since she was the one to ask.

"For a moment…yes. When we got to the hospital, you were throwing up and in pain. I didn't know…I didn't want the baby to live if it meant you weren't going to. I told the doctor to focus on you, and I didn't care if our son was alive or not." Frank looks down at her, wanting to see her reaction to his answer. She nods against the fabric of his pajamas.

"You made the right decision." Claire tells him. Frank leans down and brushes a kiss to her temple.

In the middle of the night, Frank is woken up by a piercing scream cutting through the otherwise silent residence. At first, he thinks it's Claire having a bad dream. When his eyes flutter open, he realizes his wife is fast asleep against him. He removes his hand from the side of her stomach and waits to react in case he was merely dreaming.

A few seconds later, he hears the unsettling noise again. Claire jolts awake, and he instinctively throws his arm protectively in front of her.

"What was that?" Claire asks. Frank shakes his head and then his eyes widen.

"Emily," Frank whispers and throws the covers back. Claire is already out of bed, sprinting across the living room to their daughter's bedroom. Secret service agents are storming the residence, but Frank waves them off. "Our daughter is having a nightmare, everything's fine."

The agents scan the living room and kitchen of the residence before retreating. Claire opens the door to Emily's bedroom with Frank a step behind her. The five-year-old is thrashing around in her bed, letting out intermittent screams.

Claire gets down on her knees in front of the bed while Frank sits on the edge of it.

"Emily, honey, wake up," Claire tells their daughter, nudging her gently. Frank shakes his head at his wife. It takes a lot to jar Emily from a sound sleep. "Emily! Wake up!"

Emily abruptly awakens and launches herself at Claire, nearly tackling her. Frank quickly holds out his hand on Claire's back, preventing her from toppling over. The five-year-old is sobbing uncontrollably, gripping Claire's silk pajamas as hard as she can. Claire glances over at Frank while carding her fingers through Emily's dark hair.

"It's okay, Emily," Claire mutters as she presses a kiss to the crown of her daughter's head.

"Em, sweetheart, you need to calm down," Frank gently whispers. Their daughter is on the verge of hyperventilating. Emily coughs and buries her head in Claire's shoulder.

"Emily, what's wrong?" Claire asks. She hasn't seen her daughter become this upset in a long time. Frank reaches over to turn the lamplight on. Emily stirs and loosens her grip on Claire just the slightest bit.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Frank asks in an effort to coax Emily into talking. Emily nods with her face still hidden in the ivory silk of Claire's pajama shirt.

"Mommy not here anymore," Emily whispers. Claire gently pushes Emily back so she can look at her daughter's red-rimmed cerulean eyes. Frank glides his hand up his wife's shoulder. Claire clears her throat and juts her chin up, blinking rapidly to keep her own tears at bay.

"Your mom's right here, Em. She and the baby aren't going anywhere," Frank takes over for Claire, letting her pull it together.

"I'm scared, Daddy. Mommy and the baby were hurt and…we couldn't help them," Emily explains. Frank isn't sure if Emily is talking about what occurred in her dream or on the plane.

"I was scared too, but you did exactly what a vice, vice president was supposed to do. You made sure your vice president and president were okay," Frank says. Emily wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. It gives the little girl some solace knowing her dad was feeling the same way as her.

"Emily, we're fine. There's no reason for you to be afraid." Emily glances at her mother, looking skeptical. "Give me your hand." Claire pushes her pajama top up, so her stomach is exposed. She grabs Emily's hand, placing it on the top of her abdomen where the baby is. "See? He's fine."

Emily withdraws her hand after feeling movement underneath. She grabs her rabbit and holds it to her chest. Frank reaches over to pinch Emily's cheek. He sees so much of Claire in their daughter, down to how they process difficult situations.

"I'm okay." Emily says to her parents. "You can go now." Claire laughs at Emily's blunt attitude. She thought for sure the five-year-old was going to ask if she could sleep in their bed for the remainder of the night.

"Okay. We will be right down the hall if you need us," Frank tells Emily. He grabs Claire's elbow in an effort to help get her to her feet. Claire and Frank walk to her bedroom side-by-side.

"I want to fucking kill Annette," Claire says to her husband. Frank is taken aback by the vitriol in his wife's voice. He won't disagree. Not only did Annette put his wife and child at risk, she traumatized Emily in the process.

"Me too." Frank interlaces their fingers together just before they step into Claire's bedroom. His wife is even more determined now to get her maternity bill passed. She's willing to wage an all-out war with Annette if necessary—and he is more than willing to help.

"Sir? Ma'am? Annette Shepherd has cleared security," an agent tells Frank and Claire. Claire is sitting in Frank's chair in the Oval with him standing behind her. He's hoping this meeting will go the way they rehearsed. After what Annette did to Claire, Frank has to reign in his temper in order for them to achieve their desired end result.

"Hello," Claire says to Annette as the brunette enters the Oval Office. Annette locks eyes with Frank and then Claire. She crosses the room and sits down in the chair across from Claire. Claire laces her fingers together and sets them on the desk.

"I didn't think I was meeting with both of you today. Claire, how are you feeling? I heard about what happened on the flight to Dallas." Frank clenches his fist at Annette's question. Claire smirks at Annette and leans back in the chair. Her hand flattens against her stomach.

"Oh! He's moving around a lot right now. Do you want to feel?" Claire asks. Annette gives Claire a fake smile.

"No thanks. Let's talk about why I'm here. My understanding is you want to make some revisions to the maternity bill." Frank shakes his head.

"No. We are not changing the bill in any form." Annette grabs her tote and stands up. "Sit down!" Claire looks up proudly at her husband, who is standing next to her. Even if Annette isn't showing it, she's scared of Frank.

"Why would I want to hear anything you have to say?" Annette asks. Nevertheless, she sits back in the chair and folds one leg over the other. Claire reaches inside Frank's desk, pulling out the recorder.

"Because of our little conversation last week, Annie." Claire presses play on the recording.

"_Why won't you support the bill, Annette? It's a step forward for women in this country."_

"_It's a poison-pill to the economy. We shouldn't be encouraging women to have children just to take paid time off. That sets a dangerous and unrealistic precedent." _

Claire presses pause on the recording and stands up, walking over to where Annette is sitting and leans on the desk.

"All we are asking is for your cooperation, Annette," Frank says. "You release a statement pledging your support to Claire's bill and this recording never sees the light of day. Nor does the _real _reason behind our emergency landing earlier this week."

Annette flicks a piece of hair away from her eyes and sits up straighter.

"I was doing the two of you a favor by giving you an out. Why you had one child is beyond me, but she's probably already too screwed up to save. You and Frank aren't meant to be parents."

Claire pulls down the fabric of her royal blue dress down and turns around to look at her husband. He nods at her, giving her the go-ahead.

"This is our final offer. If we don't hear something by the end of the day, we will release the recording and launch a formal investigation into what happened on the flight to Dallas. We all know Dr. Larsen won't hesitate to cut a deal if it means making you the scapegoat."

Annette nods at Claire and gets to her feet. Frank stands up and walks past Claire to the center of the Oval.

"Oh, and Annette?" Frank asks. Annette spins around and desperately attempts to keep her expression impartial as Frank steps towards her. "If you ever come after Claire or my children again, I will not hesitate to slit your fucking throat in broad daylight."

"Understood. You'll have an answer from me soon." Annette gives Claire a clipped nod and walks out of the Oval. Frank walks over and stands a few feet away from Claire, using the desk to lean against. The high they feel after taking someone down reverberates off of them. Frank leans over and presses a kiss to his wife's cheek and then sits back down in his chair.

"Here," Claire says and hands Frank a tumbler partially full of whiskey. She sits on the armrest of the chair Frank is sitting in. He scoots over to give her more room and tilts the laptop towards her.

"Thank you. Ready?" Frank asks. Claire nods and watches Frank hit the space bar to play the video.

"After much speculation, it appears Annette and Bill Shepherd are finally throwing their weight behind the pregnant vice president's maternity bill," Anderson Cooper of CNN says into the camera. "The Shepherds have released a statement saying, and I quote, 'we believe this bill is a step in the right direction for women in our country and are looking forward to collaborating with Vice President Underwood on this historic piece of legislation.' The bill will go to the floor for a vote in the House in the next coming weeks."

The segment stops and Frank closes the laptop, setting it on the coffee table next to him. He glances up at Claire who is frowning instead of smiling.

"Is something wrong?" Frank asks, although he couldn't imagine what it could be. She got the endorsement from Annette that she so desperately wanted.

"I don't like when the media refers to me as the 'pregnant vice president.' It's demeaning." Frank chuckles and rests his hand on her thigh.

"Sweetheart, that's what you are." Claire gives him a half-nod and takes a sip of her water. Frank goes over to the windowsill to grab a cigarette. Since Emily is asleep, he can enjoy smoking in the living room. He lights the cigarette and presses it to his lips. After he releases the smoke from his mouth, he taps the cigarette on the rim of Claire's empty glass. "May I bring up something I've noticed?"

Claire leans more into his side, wrapping an arm around the back of the chair. She stares at the cigarette for a minute, contemplating whether she wants a puff.

"What's that?"

"You…" His hand moves from her thigh to her stomach, rubbing his thumb over the swell of it. Claire looks down, smiling as Frank lets his hand fall away. "You seem more confident and calm this time around than when you were pregnant with Emily."

Claire scoffs and watches him take another pull of the cigarette.

"I don't think so. I know what to expect now and I didn't before." It seems like a perfectly logical explanation, but Frank isn't buying it. He's known his wife for too long to accept her answer at face-value.

"No…I think you've wanted a second child for a long time." Claire averts his gaze, choosing to stare at the lines in the coffee table. What she's about to say is something she's been keeping to herself for years.

"After Peter Russo died, I went to see Dr. Larsen." Frank glances up at her and tosses the cigarette in the empty glass.

"What?" He's surprised his wife kept this from him for four years. She usually tells him whatever is on her mind—whether he agrees with it or not.

"Part of it was to get information about Gillian Cole, but I also wanted to see if conceiving again was possible for us." Frank thinks back to the time surrounding the lawsuit immediately following Peter's death. The night he came home to tell her he was going to be the vice president she was acting weird. And now he knows why.

"_Did the plumber finally come?" Frank asks his wife. They had a leaky faucet that was keeping Frank up at night. Claire spins around, smiling flirtatiously at him._

"_No. I fixed it." She walks into his awaiting arms. "Francis." He hugs her tightly, rocking them back and forth while dropping a kiss to her cheek. They separate, but still have their arms around each other. _

"_So proud of you, Francis." After twenty-two years in Congress—and being passed over for secretary of state—every move they made was for this moment. _

"_I didn't do it alone." Frank tells her and presses a kiss to her lips. Emily bangs her sippy cup against the tray of her highchair. Claire laughs against her husband's lips and pulls away from him. Frank goes over and takes Emily out of the highchair, giving her a barrage of cheek kisses. _

"_Dada!" Emily exclaims and tries to playfully push her dad away. Claire laughs at the scene. After an incredibly stressful couple of weeks, it feels good to have time with her husband and daughter. Frank walks back over to where Claire is standing. He tries to take his blazer off while holding Emily, but his wife has to help him. _

"_You said you wanted to talk about something on the phone," Frank says. When he called her earlier to tell him about the nomination, she didn't want to squander his moment. Also, she didn't want to have the conversation about going to the doctor over the phone. _

"_Oh, no. That can wait." _

"_No. Come on. Tell me," Frank insists. Claire looks down at Emily in Frank's arms and debates with herself whether she wants to tell him. With him becoming the vice president, another child might be more than they can handle. On the other hand, they aren't getting any younger. If they are going to have another baby, it should be now. _

"_I, um…earlier today…" Claire trails off and makes her decision. "The rowing machine, I saw, is broken." Frank switches Emily to his other arm, seeming to not notice his wife's internal conflict._

"_Oh, it's my fault. The cable broke and I haven't been able to replace it yet." _

"_What about going for a run with me?" Claire asks with a smile. Frank matches her grin and nods at her. "I'll get Emily wrapped up in the stroller." Emily stops patting Frank on the cheek when she hears her name. Claire accepts Emily back from Frank, much to the dismay of the one-year-old._

"_Okay. I'll get changed."_

"Why didn't you tell me that night?" Frank asks. He isn't sure whether he should feel betrayed or relieved his wife decided not to move forward with Dr. Larsen at that time.

"It wasn't the right time with you becoming the vice president. And then when we got into the White House, it wasn't the right time either. I saw an opportunity with the maternity bill and went with it."

"You should've told me. We could have done something about it sooner." Claire shakes her head.

"It wasn't a void I felt constantly. When I said I was content with what we had, I meant it. You can want something and be okay with it not happening."

"Not us." Frank does have a point. There's never been a time when they didn't do everything in their power to get what they wanted. Claire drops her hand onto his shoulder while resting the other one on her abdomen.

"I think it's better this way. Emily is older now, and we aren't leaving this house anytime soon."

"No, we're not," Frank states with his eyes shining.

"Speaking of Emily, I think we should do something special for her, Francis. I feel bad about what she saw on the plane." Claire knows it's not her fault, but it doesn't assuage her guilt.

"I agree. She doesn't have much time left to be our only child. Whatever you have in mind is fine." Frank stands up so he's standing over Claire. He pushes a piece of blonde hair back behind her ear. "You did good with Annette."

"_We _did good," Claire corrects him and presses her lips against his. "This is only the beginning." As Frank pointed out, having Annette's endorsement doesn't necessarily correlate to votes. She's definitely influential, but they are still going to have to whip votes the old-fashioned way.

"We'll get there, I promise." Frank pinches her cheek and walks into his bedroom to grab his pajamas. Claire gets off the chair goes into her bedroom, throwing pillows aside and climbing under the covers to wait for her husband.

A week later, Frank decides to drop by the residence to see Emily after she gets home from school. He's been making a conscious effort to check in with his daughter more since her nightmare.

"Hi Daddy!" Emily says when she sees her father. She's sitting next to a boy with a mop of blond curls on his head and chestnut eyes. Frank is assuming the boy is his daughter's friend Ian. Although, his wife didn't mention him coming over for a playdate.

"Hi Em. Where's your mom?" It's more than a little concerning to Frank that his wife isn't around to watch his daughter and her _friend. _

"I think she's in her room. This is Ian. Ian, say to my daddy." Ian waves while sucking on his juice box.

"Hi." Frank offers a closed-mouth grin at the little boy. Emily hops off her chair and walks over to Frank, nudging him. Frank slowly bends down to be eye-level with Emily. Emily crosses her arms and gives Frank an irritated glare that surely came directly from his wife.

"Be nice to Ian, Daddy," Emily whispers and dusts a kiss to his cheek. Frank stands up and walks into Claire's bedroom. His wife is sitting on the bench pushed up against the edge of her bed. Various paint samples and pictures of furniture surround her.

"Claire, why is there a five-year-old boy in our living room?" Claire ignores him and holds up a navy paint sample.

"Do you think this is too dark for the nursery?" Frank frowns and tilts his head down to look at his wife.

"Claire wh—"

"Francis, don't start." Claire tosses the paint sample aside and takes her reading glasses off. "We agreed that we would do something special for Emily."

"I thought you meant we were going to take her to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs. I didn't say we could invite that _boy _over to the residence. And why aren't you out there with them?" Claire skims her teeth across her bottom lip to trap her laughter into her mouth.

"Francis, Emily is five." Frank shakes his head.

"And Emily is also _your _daughter." Claire gives him a warning look. She's aware of what he's implying, but they aren't even going to go there when their daughter is so young.

"Our daughter has a hard time making friends because of who we are and what we do. I'm not going to say she can't have a boy as a _friend _when she is _five years old. _If you want to be the one to have that conversation with her, then be my guest." Frank lets out a sigh. His wife is right. Emily's had to face a lot of unfair criticism because her parents are the president and vice president. However, he would be remiss if he didn't keep an eye on Ian.

Frank glances down at the paint samples in and around his wife's lap. He points to a bluish-gray one near her knee.

"I like that one."

"Me too." Claire watches her husband go back into the living room. When she steps out of her room a half an hour later, her husband is seated on the couch, fast asleep. She walks over to him, placing her hand on top of his. Frank jerks awake just as Claire sits down next to him.

"I thought you were supposed to be on guard duty," Claire jokes with him. Frank rolls his eyes and grabs his briefing sheet that fell on the floor.

"Don't make…" Frank stops when he sees Emily and Ian walking towards him and Claire holding hands. "What's this?" Claire reclines into the couch cushions and crosses her fingers over the swell of her stomach.

"Mommy and Daddy?" Emily asks. She yanks on Ian's hand, forcing him to step forward. Claire extends her hand to clasp Frank's, silently warning him to watch what he says.

"Yes, Em?" Frank asks. He locks eyes with his wife, who is finding this whole exchange incredibly amusing.

"Ian and me are gonna be president and vice president. We are gonna live here and have a baby like you and Mommy." Frank's jaw drops and Claire covers her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Oh really?" Frank asks. Claire squeezes his hand to get him to stop talking. Emily is undeterred by her father's questioning tone.

"Yes, Daddy. After you and Mommy are president, we will take over. Ian will be president first and then me, like you and Mommy."

"I think keeping an Underwood in the White House is a good idea, right Francis?" Claire asks.

"Of course." Emily nods at both of her parents and tugs on Ian's hand, walking them back to her bedroom. Claire hides her grin against her knuckles until their daughter is out of sight. Frank glares at her, not finding what just happened funny in the slightest.

"Well Francis, at least our daughter has a plan." Frank sneers at Claire and gets to his feet.

"I'm going back to the Oval."

**A/N 2: I hope you liked this chapter! I want to kind of take your temperature on this fic so far. Do you want more/less Emily? More/less pregnant Claire? More drama? If there's something you feel is missing that should be included in this, please tell me. Thank you for reading and please stay safe and healthy!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi! Sorry I've been MIA; I've been preoccupied with working on my second book. Thank you so much for all the reviews (and patience.) I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter. **

**Chapter Seven**

"Good morning, Emily," Claire says when she sees her daughter walk out of her bedroom. Emily yawns and rubs her cerulean eyes. She then hops into her chair across from her mother at the table. Claire is busy nursing a cup of tea.

"Where's Daddy?" Emily asks. Her eyes do a sweep of the residence. Usually, by the time she gets up for school, Frank and Claire are having breakfast at the table. Or, her father got up earlier than both of them and is already in the Oval.

"He's sleeping in his bed still, I think." Emily nods in understanding and gets to her feet. She walks into the kitchen and grabs the precut apple slices on the bottom shelf of the fridge.

About a month ago, Claire asked Frank to sleep in his study instead of her bed. Due to her pregnancy, Claire was having difficulty sleeping and wanted the whole bed to herself. Initially, it caused some tension between her and Frank, but he came around when he saw how exhausted she was.

"_Fran…" The rest of her husband's name gets swallowed up by a yawn. Frank shifts in his desk chair to glance at his wife. Claire is sitting on the couch, half-looking at a piece of paper and half-trying not to fall asleep. He's notices the dark circles under her eyes become more prominent over the past few weeks. And now, she's always up before him, even when she's getting up a couple of times during the night to go to the bathroom._

"_Claire, are you getting any sleep?" Frank asks. He walks over and sits next to her on the couch. Claire folds her hands over her swollen stomach after tossing the paper aimlessly on the coffee table across from her. _

"_That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I think you should sleep in the study from now on." Claire pauses to take in her husband's reaction. A frown tugs at his lips. They just spent the last week shifting his clothes and other personal items into her bedroom to make room for the nursery furniture arriving. He doesn't understand why she's kicking him out now. "Just until after the baby is born." _

"_Why?" Claire notices he's removed his hand from her stomach and moved slightly away from her on the couch. She reaches across to rest her hand on his thigh in a reassuring gesture._

"_Between needing to pee almost every two hours, and you hogging all the covers, I can't sleep." Frank lets out a light scoff at his wife's mentioning of him taking the covers. _

"_You take all of the pillows," Frank shoots back at her. Claire leans her head on his shoulder. _

"_This isn't like before. I'm not angry. I just…need to sleep." _

_When they first got to the White House, Claire left their bedroom for another one down the hall, claiming she had a cold. Even when she felt better, she never came back to their bedroom. It became the inciting incident behind their separation. Now, Frank is scared she is pulling away again._

"_I'll move into the study tonight. If Emily asks—"_

"_If Emily asks, just tell her the truth. I need the bed to myself." _

"_Alright." Claire leans over and stamps a kiss to his cheek as a silent thank you for accepting her request._

"Emily, it's your dad's birthday today. Make sure you tell him 'happy birthday,'" Claire reminds her daughter.

"How old is he?" Emily asks.

"Old enough," Frank says as he's walking into the kitchen. He pours himself a cup of coffee and walks over to the table. Emily watches her dad stand behind her mom, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Happy birthday, Francis," Claire mutters to him. She pats his hand on her shoulder as he leans down to kiss her cheek.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!" Emily exclaims. Frank sits between Emily and Claire and sips his coffee.

"Thanks, Em."

"I have to go," Claire abruptly says. She motions for Frank to help her get to her feet. "I'll see you after my meeting."

Frank glances at Emily, hoping the five-year-old will tell him what Claire is up to. She shrugs her shoulders and bites into an apple slice.

"I'll share with you, Daddy…since today is your birthday." Emily pushes the dish towards her father. Frank chuckles and scoops up the last two pieces.

While Frank is reading his briefing sheet, an agent swings open the door of the Oval. Frank looks up from his reading glasses, wondering who is walking into his office. Instead, he sees a large board being rolled in, with his wife pushing it.

"Claire, you are going to hurt yourself," Frank admonishes. He gets to his feet and gently nudges Claire away from the board. "What is this?"

"Turn it around," Claire instructs. She sits on the couch with her fingers crossed over the swell of her stomach. It took her a while, but she was finally able to track down her husband's birthday gift.

Frank pushes the board over to the far side of the office, behind both of the couches. He spins the board around, gasping when he sees it's his old voting board.

"Where did you find this?" Frank asks. When he left the Whip's office, he wasn't able to bring the voting board with him. He didn't have much use for it as vice president.

"Storage. Bill does his votes electronically." Claire is referring to the man who currently holds Frank's old position. "The magnets need to be updated some, but it's still useable." The magnets have all of the names of current and former members of Congress. On the board, is a "yes" and "no" column, which refer to how people are going to vote on a piece of legislation.

Frank skims his finger over Peter Russo's magnet before picking it up and throwing it in the garbage.

"Do you like it?" Claire asks. Her husband hasn't said much. Frank whips around and smiles at her.

"It's a nice gift. Thank you."

"I figured we could use it for the maternity bill. There's going to be a final vote in the next few weeks." Frank spins around and nods. Then, he starts moving magnets towards the "yes" column of people who have already committed to voting for the bill to pass.

Claire slowly stands up and walks behind her husband, pressing her body against his. Her hand sneaks under his arm, placing it on his chest. They stare at the board, seeing how many people are left that they still have to sway to their side.

"What is that feeling?" Frank asks. He senses a quick, almost tapping sound stemming from his wife's stomach.

"You can feel that?" Claire asks. She steps away from him and skims her hand over her abdomen. Frank moves slightly to allow his wife to stand next to him. "I think he has the hiccups. I've been feeling it on and off all morning."

Frank lightly presses his hand on Claire's stomach, grinning at the movement. His hand glides up to her cheek, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Thank you for the gift." Claire gives him a clipped nod. She didn't just get it for him. They are going to need to keep track of people they've promised favors to from now until the official vote.

"Of course. What can we work with?" She tilts her head towards the board, seeing thirteen names still in the "no" column.

"Some of these are going to be incredibly hard to get, but him," Frank picks up a magnet. He shows Claire the name of a prominent senator from Pennsylvania. "We can work with."

"How?" She doesn't see what he does yet.

"His wife's restaurant is opening near Capitol Hill. What if we were to have dinner there to help out?"

"I thought you had a dinner meeting tonight." Frank shakes his head.

"Not for my birthday. For Emily's."

Their daughter's birthday is in three days. Frank and Claire want to do something special since this is her last birthday as their only child.

"She has been asking to do something outside of the White House," Claire states. "And if a reporter were to ask us about our meal…that would generate good press. Do you think that will guarantee a vote, though?"

"A favor is a favor. I'll talk to Paul and see if his wife is accepting reservations for Thursday night." Claire smirks and briefly rests her hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Oh, since we are on the topic of Emily's birthday, you are taking her and Ian to the new presidential exhibit at the National History Museum on Saturday." Claire fully expected the frown forming on her husband's lips.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You know why." Frank crosses his arms over his chest. He doesn't appreciate being ambushed by his wife anymore than he appreciates having to chaperone his daughter and her "friend" at a museum.

"Are you coming?" Claire shakes her head.

"I can't be on my feet for that long. It will be a couple of hours, and it will make your daughter happy."

"Maybe if I'm lucky, you will go into labor and we won't have to go to the museum." Claire shakes her head at Frank's offhanded remark. She still has a little more than a month before her due date.

"Don't say that."

A knock on the door interrupts their conversation. One of Frank's many aides is letting him know another meeting is starting in a few minutes. Claire brushes past him to take one last look at the voting board before leaving his office.

Three days later, Emily wakes up and runs into the kitchen. She already is dressed in her school uniform and wants Claire to do her hair for her birthday.

"Happy birthday, honey," Claire says when she sees her daughter. Emily is practically jumping up and down in excitement. For as much as Frank and Claire try to downplay birthdays, they want their daughter to enjoy hers.

"Thanks Mommy! Can you braid my hair?" Emily points to her tangled, brunette hair.

"Of course, come stand on the chair. I can't bend down." Emily scampers over to the kitchen chair, waiting for her mom to come over.

"Are you excited for your dinner tonight?" Claire asks while she's sectioning off pieces of her daughter's hair. Just like Frank thought, the senator agreed to pass Claire's bill if they eat at his wife's new restaurant. Frank arranged for a friendly reporter to "ambush" them outside the restaurant to ask for a review.

"Uh huh. Can I get ice cream?" Claire laughs at Emily's question. Her daughter as been able to enjoy a lot more of the sweet since Claire craves it all the time.

"I think we both can have ice cream after dinner."

Frank comes out of the study just as Claire is finishing French braiding Emily's hair.

"Daddy, look!" Emily points to her new hairdo with a giant grin on her face. Frank gives Emily a bittersweet smile. Claire helps Emily hop down from the chair, not noticing the expression on her husband's face.

"You look beautiful. Happy birthday, darlin'." Frank walks over and brushes a kiss to the top of Emily's head.

"Are you coming to dinner with us tonight, Daddy?" Emily asks.

"Of course. And I'm taking you and Ian to the museum this weekend." Claire's eyes widen at her husband. She wanted the trip to be a surprise but forgot to tell Frank.

"Really?" Emily looks like she's about to burst into tears from excitement. Frank glances up at Claire, who mouths an apology to him.

"Yes, we arranged a private tour of the presidential exhibit you have been talking about." Emily claps her hands and gobbles up her pancake breakfast.

"Get to school, Emily. We will see you later tonight." Claire says. Emily runs over to her mom and gently reaches up to kiss her cheek. Frank walks Emily over to the stairs and gives her a hug goodbye.

"Over here, Em." Frank reaches to grab Emily's hand and redirects her to the restaurant. Claire is walking behind them, trying to keep up with Emily's pace. Frank reaches behind to grab his wife's hand. Emily opens the door of the quiet restaurant with Frank's help. It's an upscale restaurant that specializes in make-your-own pizza. Frank and Claire rented out the back room of the place, so they won't be bothered by anyone.

"Right this way," a lanky, younger hipster-looking guy says and directs them to their private area. Agents move with the three of them and stand guard at all available entrances and exits.

"Sit here, Daddy," Emily instructs her father. She points to the booth that's up against the wall. Claire sits in a chair across from them for easier access to the bathroom. Frank slides in and Emily sits next to him.

"This is nice," Claire comments. It has a rustic, old Italian restaurant-style vibe to it with a modern twist. They don't leave the White House much unless it's for travel. Usually, it requires a lot of notice and special safety precautions to leave. More often that not, it's more trouble than it's worth.

Frank nods in agreement and shares his menu with Emily. He can tell how excited the now six-year-old is at being out of the White House for a few hours. She hasn't stopped looking around and pointing out the things she sees.

"What do you think that is?" Emily points to a large fireplace surrounded by glass walls near the entrance. It's the focal point of the restaurant.

"It's where they cook the pizza," Claire explains. She shifts in her seat and reaches for her water.

"What is it?" Frank asks. Claire places her hand on her back.

"Nothing." She doesn't want to ruin Emily's celebration by complaining about how uncomfortable she is.

They are interrupted by a waitress taking their orders. While Emily is ordering, Claire motions for Frank to grab the present they brought with them.

"This is for you, Em," Frank says once the waitress leaves their table. Emily gleefully tears open the wrapping paper and bites her lip with excitement.

"It's me!" Emily exclaims. The doll Frank and Claire bought her is made to be a replica of their daughter. Every attribute—the cerulean eyes, shoulder-length dark hair—is customized to match Emily. Frank even asked the doll manufacturer to make a replica of Emily's Air Force One jacket. "She's so cool."

Frank bites back a laugh at how enthralled Emily is by the doll. He and Claire were at a loss as to what to get her since she doesn't find pleasure in most of the toys suited for her age.

"Mommy, can you put her over there?" Emily points to the empty chair next to Claire.

"Sure," Claire reaches for the doll and feels her stomach tighten. She winces and retracts her hand, placing it on her abdomen. The doll crashes onto the table and right into the mozzarella sauce.

"No!" Emily yells at the sight of her doll's face covered in red sauce. Frank's attention is diverted to Claire. He walks over and kneels down next to her, placing his hand over hers.

"What is wrong?" Frank directly asks. Emily sees the pain on Claire's face and tenses up. Her mom looks concerned—like she did when they were on the plane.

The waitress comes by and silently sets the pizzas on the table. Claire lets out a deep breath and leans back in her chair.

"Braxton Hicks. I had them with Emily. It's nothing." Frank gets to his feet and glances over his shoulder at Emily. The little girl is frozen with fear.

"It's fine, Em. She's fine." Frank tells their daughter. Claire looks more relaxed and is using her thumb to rub her stomach.

"I didn't mean to scare you, honey," Claire mutters. She picks up the doll and silently prays for nothing to be stained or cracked.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Emily questions with the same blunt attitude as Claire would. Frank accepts the doll back from Claire and wipes the sauce smeared on its face with a napkin.

"I'm having minor pains called Braxton Hicks. I'm okay, though." Claire would rather not focus on herself on Emily's birthday. She's been experiencing false labor pains intermittently since the plane incident almost three months ago. "How's the doll?"

"It can be saved," Frank holds up the clean doll to distract Emily. Emily perks up and tears into her pizza. Claire sighs in relief.

"How is it?" Claire asks Emily. Emily gives her a nod of approval. Claire takes a bite of her salad after noticing how intensely Frank is staring at her.

"I have to go potty," Emily announces a little while later. Frank gestures for an agent to go stand guard with Emily while she goes to the bathroom. He waits until their daughter is out of earshot to address his wife.

"Is it bad?" Frank asks. He doesn't want her to downplay her pain in case it's something more serious.

"No. It's just unpleasant. When you said you weren't going to give me a couple of kids, I should have listened." Claire remarks. She had a relatively easy pregnancy with Emily, but that was slightly over six years ago. Now that she's older, Claire isn't sure her body is going to let her carry the baby to term.

"Can we get the birthday sundae, please? Make it two. And please, no singing." Claire tells the waitress. Frank laughs into his napkin at his wife. Emily comes back to the table just as the waitress is walking away.

"We ordered you the birthday sundae, Em. Your mom got one as well." The waitress quickly returns with two sundaes, one with a candle and the other without.

"Make a wish," Claire says to Emily. Emily pauses to think and then blows out the candle. Frank takes a few bites from Emily and Claire's sundaes. He requests the check and pays the bill.

"Are we going out the front or the back?" Claire asks Frank. She isn't sure where the reporter is positioned on the street.

"They are waiting at the front." Emily jumps off the booth and grabs her doll, holding it up to her side. Claire steps forward, pausing at the hostess booth to pay compliments to the chef.

"Are you ready?" Frank asks. He can see people standing outside with their phones, waiting for them to come out.

"Sure. Emily, stay by us," Claire instructs their daughter. Emily nods and steps closer to Frank. He receives the go-ahead from his wife and pushes the door open. Immediately, they are bombarded with camera flashes and people shouting at them.

Frank grabs Claire's hand when he spots an older man wielding a cellphone getting too close for comfort. His eyes scan the crowd for the reporter. A blonde girl looking fresh out of college makes her way to the front of the crowd.

"Mr. President, Mrs. Vice President, how did you like your meal?" The girl asks, shoving a microphone in Frank's face. Claire squeezes Frank's hand.

"It was wonderful. They made sure our daughter felt special on her birthday," Frank says into the microphone.

"We would definitely recommend coming here for a nice dinner," Claire chimes in. She steps in front of Emily when the reporter starts to kneel down. Emily still doesn't like people invading her space, and Claire won't force her to speak if she doesn't want to.

"Excuse us," Frank signals for the agents to start clearing a path so they can get to the motorcade. He steps forward, tugging on Claire's hand. Claire makes sure she has a secure grip on Emily as they are walking to the car. Emily asks to be picked up, but Claire isn't able to support her weight.

"Get in," Claire says to Emily. The six-year-old hops in first, followed by Claire and then Frank. "That should be enough, don't you think?"

"Absolutely. People will be lining up to eat there in a week or so. That vote is as good as ours." Frank grabs Claire's hand, interlocking their fingers. They look at Emily, who is quietly playing with her doll.

"Good."

"How's your stomach?" Frank asks. He hasn't noticed any pain registering on his wife's face since they were at the table, although that doesn't mean it's not there. Claire is an expert at hiding it.

"Fine. No problems. Francis, you don't have to worry." She appreciates her husband asking, but he knows how much she hates being fussed over. If there's a problem that requires his input, then she would speak up.

"Did you have a good birthday, Em?" Frank asks.

"Yup! I like my doll." Emily turns her doll around so her parents can see.

During the middle of the night, Claire steps out of the bathroom, wide awake. She walks into the living room of the quiet residence. She spots a light on in Frank's study and knocks on the door.

"Come in," Frank mutters. Claire steps inside, surprised to see her husband reading papers under lamplight. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I can't sleep. What are you working on?" Frank hands her the paper and moves over to give her room to sit.

"Just wrapping up some things that I didn't get done before we left for dinner. I heard from the senator. His wife thanked us for the news coverage."

"Good. Even with him, we are still twelve votes short," Claire points out. Frank takes off his reading glasses and sighs.

"I know. When is the vote?"

"A week from tomorrow I think. Congress is moving it up to ensure it happens before they break for Thanksgiving."

"I don't think that will give us enough time, Claire." Claire nods in agreement.

"I know. I have a few meetings throughout tomorrow and early next week. We might need to call in more favors."

"Consider it done." Frank watches his wife carefully push herself off the chair and get to her feet. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Francis."

"Hi, Mr. President," Ian whispers when an agent brings him up to the residence. Emily is waiting with Frank and Claire in the living room. "Hi, Em."

Frank furrows his eyebrows at the nickname _he _gives to his daughter. Emily shyly waves at Ian and hugs her mom goodbye.

"Hello, Ian." Frank offers the little boy his best fake smile. Claire frowns at her husband. She hopes her daughter doesn't come back from the museum upset with her father.

"Are you ready to go, Daddy?" Emily asks. She has her favorite black pea coat on and asked Claire to pull her hair back from her face. The six-year-old walks over to Ian and shows him her doll that's sitting on the living room couch.

"Be nice," Claire whispers to Frank when he goes over to kiss her goodbye.

"Call me if something comes up."

Claire's had an uptick in Braxton Hicks contractions in the days after Emily's birthday. He doubts she's going to make it to her December due date.

"Okay. Have fun," Claire waves goodbye at Emily from her spot on the couch. With her husband and daughter gone, Claire is going to take a long, hot bath before starting her work for the day.

When Emily was born, Frank adjusted his stance on children to liking only his own. He still despises other people's children, especially a curly-haired blonde boy who is trying to hold hands with his daughter.

"Look at that, Em," Ian says to Emily. He points to a replica of George Washington's wooden teeth in a jar. Frank frowns and reminds himself to have a little talk with Ian about a certain nickname he uses. He's attempting to usher Emily and Ian through this exhibit as fast as he can. Unfortunately, the presidents are in chronological order and they are only at the first one.

"Daddy, can you read that to us?" Emily asks Frank. Frank clears his throat just as his phone rings.

"Hold on, Em. Let me see who this is," Frank pulls out his phone and prays it's Claire asking him to come home or Doug with updates on the bill. "It's Doug, I have to take this. _Don't _go anywhere without me."

Emily nods and turns her attention back to the exhibit while her father steps away to take a phone call.

"Sir, we have two more votes locked in," Doug says when Frank picks up the phone.

"Good. How many votes do we still need?"

"Ten."

"Damn it." Frank cranes his neck to make sure Emily and Ian are within seeing distance. He won't worry his wife with a lost child situation. Thankfully, he can hear Emily laughing at something Ian told her by Thomas Jefferson.

"Claire is meeting with Jacobs' and Callahan on Monday. Any thoughts as to how to get the others?" Frank is going to have to pull all the rabbits out of his hat in order to assure the bill's passing. If he didn't promise Claire success, he would have killed the legislation by now. What his wife is asking is too much too soon. Reforms like this take years and usually several baby steps instead of one giant one. No matter how many times he's tried to explain that to Claire, she still wants the bill to go to a vote, and she expects it to pass.

"See what you can do in Hawthorne's home district. I think he needs help getting an economic incentive package through committee. We might be able to grab a few favors there."

Frank turns around and no longer sees his daughter or Ian. His stomach tightens as his eyes dart around the empty museum.

"Alright, sir. I'll see where that goes."

"Thanks Doug." Frank hangs up the phone and walks down a long hallway, past a large majority of mid-century presidents. Emily and Ian are seated on a bench, watching a movie.

"Hey Daddy, come see this," Emily mutters. She waves Frank over to the very end of the exhibit where he and Claire are. "Look, it's you and Mommy!"

Frank sees the inauguration outfits he and Claire donated to the exhibit. Claire's egg-shell dress and his tuxedo are enclosed in a glass casing next to Garrett and Trisha Walker's outfits.

"That's so cool," Ian comments.

"You and me are gonna be in here someday," Emily says to Ian. Frank glares at the little boy, who withers under the intensity of his gaze. Ian keeps his mouth shut and stares straight ahead at Claire's dress. "Daddy, we are hungry."

"Alright, let's go."

Frank has Secret Service stop for a light snack on the way to Ian's house. They drop off the little boy and continue to the White House.

"Hey, did you have fun?" Claire asks Emily. Frank is a step behind their daughter, looking slightly worn down.

"Yes! We saw Daddy and you in the museum," Emily informs her mother. Claire moves some papers off the couch so Emily can sit down. "Mommy, can I go watch a movie?"

"Sure. Don't forget to clean your up your toys." Emily nods and gets off the couch. She goes over to Frank and hugs his leg before scampering off to her bedroom.

"You look tired," Claire comments. Frank takes Emily's spot on the couch and leans back.

"You don't." His wife looks more refreshed than she has in the past month.

"I took a long bath. Did Doug call while you were gone?"

"Yes. We are still ten votes shy."

"Alright. I'll have to push up my meeting on Tuesday to Monday afternoon. Are you still meeting with the senator from Mississippi?"

"Yes, Doug and I are working on something for his home district. I can't guarantee it will be enough to change his mind." Claire lets out an irritated sigh. It's coming down to the wire on this, and she hates uncertainties.

Frank looks over at Claire, seeing the stress lines on her face. He gently grabs her shoulders, turning her away from him.

"Relax for a minute, sweetheart." His fingers dig into the knots in her neck. Claire leans into his touch. "If I tell you I'm going to do everything to make sure this bill succeeds, I will."

"I know."

If this bill fails, then all of the work—including Claire's pregnancy—they've put in will be for nothing. And Claire is determined to not let that happen. Annette's endorsement wasn't as effective as they thought it would be, and politicians aren't being as forthcoming when it comes to votes in their favor.

Frank presses a kiss to the curve of her neck and sits back against the cushions. Claire swivels in order to sit next to him. She puts her feet up on the coffee table and rests her hand on her stomach, feeling tiny movements.

"We can't become the Conways', Francis," Claire abruptly states. Confusion floods every crevice of Frank's face.

"What do you mean?"

"We are having this baby for a reason. It wasn't to make our family complete or increase our followers on social media." Frank and Claire cringed every time they would watch the American public fawn over the Conway family. They saw right through the façade.

"Do you think we're becoming soft?" Frank asks his wife with such disgust, Claire smirks.

"Not soft…hesitant."

"That's the same thing."

"I've been a little preoccupied with getting through this pregnancy, that I've lost sight of the task at hand."

Between doctor's appointments, setting up the nursery with Emily and making sure she's taking care of herself; Claire has inadvertently made Frank the point-person on her bill. She wants to take back control but isn't sure how to do it.

Frank rests his hand on her thigh. When they first started this endeavor, it was supposed to be Claire's victory—or defeat. He thinks it would be beneficial to let her give him marching orders instead of the other way around.

"What do you want to do?"

"I have to remind them who the vice president is."

A little more than a week later, Frank is returning to the Oval after a lunch meeting. He shuts the door to his office, not realizing his wife fast asleep on the couch. Claire stirs, lazily opening her eyes. Frank rounds the corner to face the couches after hearing a strange noise. His wife is laying with her legs up on the couch, one hand tucked behind her and the other on her stomach.

"Hey, I didn't know you were in here," Frank mutters. He sits on the coffee table, reaching his hand out to help Claire sit up. She holds onto his hand and pushes herself to a prone position. Frank grimaces at how uncomfortable his wife looks.

"I was hiding from my assistant. I come in here sometimes and take a nap while you're out."

"You do not." Claire smiles at her husband's skeptical face.

"Your couches are more comfortable than mine." Claire bites her lip and moves her hand to the side of her stomach. "This baby is so much more active than Emily was."

"May I?" Frank asks. Claire grabs his hand and places it on the lower right side of her stomach.

"Emily was active in spurts, but this one moves around all the time." Frank and Claire sit in silence for a moment until the movement stops. Frank withdraws his hand and stands up.

"Claire, we are going to have to push back the vote until after Thanksgiving." Claire pushes herself forward and then slowly gets to her feet.

"Why? I might not make it until then." At Claire's last doctor's appointment a few days ago, her doctor warned her that the baby is going to come a lot sooner than originally planned.

"We don't have enough votes to make it to the floor. Rescheduling buys us time." Their last tally yesterday told them that they are still six votes short of passing the bill. Frank tried his best to sway last minute hold-outs this morning to no luck.

"No, I want the vote to happen tomorrow." Frank furrows his eyebrows at his wife's insistence. It doesn't make sense for her to push for a vote if they know they don't have enough.

"Why are you…" Frank's voice trails off when the realization smacks him in the face. "You cut a deal, didn't you?"

Claire glances away from him and then back, nodding her head. Frank slams the folder he had his in his hand down on the desk.

"Francis don't get—"

"Jesus, Claire." Claire steps closer to his desk. She holds her hands out in defense because of how mad her husband is getting already.

"All we need to do is endorse Jacobs' drilling bill and he will deliver the last six votes." Frank shakes his head at what he's hearing. His wife clearly isn't thinking clearly, or she would've grasped how foolish her move was.

"Our administration ran on an anti-drilling platform. You know that! You were the CEO of a goddamn environmental company for years. How do you think this is going to play out in the press?" Claire glares at her husband. She would think he would trust her enough to handle the optics of the situation.

"There is no election, Francis. Nobody will care about some drilling in Texas when a landmark maternity bill will change history for women in this country."

"It's a chickenshit move, Claire. You should have run this by me first." Frank isn't sure what he's more upset about: his wife making a half-assed deal or the fact she didn't loop him in.

"I don't have to ask for your blessing on every decision I make. This is _my _bill." Frank's teeth clamp down on his lower lip. It takes every ounce of respect for his wife to not point out that this is _his _administration.

"And I have been busting my ass for the past few months to make sure _your _bill will succeed while you sat barefoot and pregnant in our residence picking out fucking wallpaper." Claire takes a deep breath in an effort to force the tears back into her eyes. She won't let her hormones get the best of her, even if what her husband said is way below the belt.

"I am willing to go hat-in-hand to someone and make a tiny sacrifice for the larger picture. I did what you didn't have the courage to do. I played this _exactly_ how you would. The only difference is, I didn't come begging you for permission, and _that's _the part that bothers you the most."

"What about you always reminding me that we are a team and we make decisions together? Or does that only apply when I make decisions for us _as the president_?"

Claire silently admits that what she did was hypocritical, but Frank throwing his title in her face only proves her point. He can't accept that sometimes she knows what's best.

"You wouldn't be the president if it wasn't for me." _I never should've made you president. _Frank remembers their argument on the plane coming home from Russia when Claire said that to him. He thought about it for weeks on end, even after they made up.

"Get out." Claire lifts her eyebrows at the restraint evident in Frank's voice. Usually when they argue, he yells and breaks things. She wonders if he's trying to hold back because of her pregnancy.

"Fine." Claire swivels on her feet and strides out of the Oval. When she steps outside of the office, she leans against the wall and takes a few deep breaths. "It's okay, just relax." She rubs her stomach in an effort to soothe herself and the baby.

When Frank gets back to the residence, Claire is nowhere to be found. He doesn't particularly want to see his wife after their fight this afternoon, but it's unusual she's not here. Claire stops working when Emily gets home from school and takes a nap before dinner. Frank quietly opens the door to her bedroom, but the bed is freshly made.

_Something is not right. _Frank thinks to himself. He dials Claire's cellphone, only to get her voicemail.

"Damn," Frank whispers. He doesn't leave a message. His wife might be dodging his calls, which doesn't surprise him. His daughter comes up the stairs to the residence with an agent. "Emily?"

"Hi Daddy." Emily breezes past him and goes into the kitchen for her snack. "Where's Mommy?"

"I think she still might be working," Frank lies. Emily comes back into the living room holding her crackers. "Let me call her office."

Emily sits next to her dad on the couch while he waits for someone to pick up in Claire's office. Surprisingly, her executive assistant, Lea, picks up.

"Hi…what is that sound?" Frank asks Lea. He can hear someone breathing heavily in the background.

"Mr. President, your wife is bleeding. We called an ambulance, but you may want to come down here."

**A/N 2: I leave you with this! I don't want to give too much away, but next chapter isn't as smooth sailing as you might think. Reviews are definitely appreciated. Thanks for reading and please stay safe and healthy! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello! I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy (and sane) during these weird times. Thank you for the lovely reviews left for me. Sorry it's taken me this long to update, I wanted to finish writing my second book first. Please enjoy the next chapter!**

**Chapter Eight**

"_Mr. President, your wife is bleeding. We called an ambulance, but you may want to come down here." _

Frank's breath catches in his throat. He glances over at Emily absentmindedly eating her afternoon snack. She smiles at him, but he doesn't return the gesture.

"Alright. Tell her I'll be down there momentarily." Frank hangs up the phone without realizing he doesn't have anyone to watch Emily. He can't bring his daughter down to his wife's office—she will only get in the way. However, he can't leave the six-year-old in the residence by herself.

"Hey," Tom Yates says as he comes strolling into the residence. Frank furrows his eyebrows. The writer hasn't been allowed up to their home since he was hired back as their speechwriter. Frank was a lot clearer about setting boundaries—something he failed to do the first time.

"Hi," Frank mutters. Emily waves at Tom from her position on the couch. Tom moves closer to Frank, signaling whatever he's going to say is private.

"Claire sent me up here…to watch Emily," Tom whispers. Frank nods in understanding. His wife figured he would eventually get the message through Tom. He's not thrilled about having the writer babysit their daughter, but he doesn't have a choice.

"I'll call the nanny and have her come over here in a few hours. Thanks, Tom." Frank sincerely says. Tom nods and watches Frank approach Emily, gently kneeling down on the floor to be eye-level with her. "I have to go help your mom. I think she's going to have your brother today."

Emily's cerulean eyes light up and she hastily swallows her cracker. Frank notices the buzz of excitement and immediately shakes his head.

"Let's go!" Emily exclaims.

"No, Em. You are going to stay here with Tom." Emily frowns and glares at her father. "It's going to be long and boring, like my meetings."

"We can watch a movie or something," Tom offers. Admittedly, he doesn't like children nor does he want to be around them too much. He's only doing this as a favor to Frank and Claire to get back on their good side. Hopefully, they will start trusting him more again and let him back into their inner circle instead of sidelining him with mundane speeches to write.

"I have to go. I'll be back later." Frank stamps a kiss to Emily's forehead and gets to his feet. He makes a mental note to have Doug call the nanny to come over to the residence so Tom isn't stuck with Emily all night. He's guessing him and Claire are going to be at the hospital for at least the night.

By the time Frank gets down to Claire's office, everyone has been cleared out expect for her and the White House physician, Dr. Kline. Claire is sitting in her office chair, staring out the window with her hand on her swollen stomach.

"Mr. President," Dr. Kline greets Frank. The woman is about a foot shorter than him and thirty years younger. She gives a nod to Claire and excuses herself to check on the ambulance.

Frank gingerly approaches his wife. He can see a carmine stain through the fabric of her navy dress. She isn't crying, but he can tell under her layers of armor that she's scared.

"Hey," Frank says softly to Claire. She turns to look at him, almost surprised that he's in her office.

"Hi," Claire mumbles. She starts rubbing her stomach with a deep frown. Frank bends down, resting his hand on her arm.

"We can talk about the other thing later," he reminds her. If they are going to weather this crisis, they need to have a temporary armistice. They've done it before when Frank got shot. Whatever was said and done to each other, they can deal with it afterwards.

"Okay." Claire appreciates him being here. She knows how betrayed he felt after she admitted to taking a deal to secure the passing of her maternity bill. It means something that he's willing to swallow the anger for now. She didn't want to have to deliver their child by herself. "Francis?"

"What?" Claire rolls her lips together and clears her throat.

"He isn't moving."

Mere hours ago, Claire was lightly complaining about how active their son is. For her to notice an abrupt stop in movement is more than concerning.

"I'll be right back. Don't…" Frank stops himself from completing his sentence. He quickly exits her office and confers with the doctor and Secret Service to get an estimated time of arrival for the ambulance.

Tom turns off the light to the nursery while Emily is grabbing her doll she got for her birthday to show him. He welcomed himself to a mini tour of the residence, wanting to see what's changed since he's last been up here.

"Look!" Emily demands, holding up her lookalike doll. Tom smiles and Emily follows him into Frank's study. The little girl hasn't seen much of Tom lately. He pops up here and there with her parents at events and occasionally in her mom's office. "My daddy sleeps in there now."

Tom's ears perk up at Emily's offhanded remark. He heard rumblings of a fight between the First Couple earlier today. The writer knows from countless interviews of Frank and Claire that asking them about it would be pointless. He's been around long enough to realize he has to search for context clues if he wants an explanation.

"Why?" Tom asks, although he knows he shouldn't. Claire and Frank would dismiss him again if they knew he was exploiting their daughter for information.

"I don't know. Mommy is tired a lot because of the baby. I think Daddy wants her to sleep," Emily says. She noticed her parents sleeping together in the same bed again, and then they weren't. The little girl is merely regurgitating the excuse her father gave her when she asked a few weeks ago.

"Oh…that makes sense." Tom is still suspicious and is thinking of ways he can slip by Claire's room without Emily noticing.

"Come on, let's go play in my room." Emily grabs Tom's hand and drags him towards her bedroom.

"Here," Frank offers Claire his black blazer to cover herself with as they load her into the ambulance. She outright refused the stretcher, knowing how it would be perceived to their staff. Frank slips it over her shoulders and pinches her cheek. "I'll be behind you in the car."

Claire nods and follows Secret Service and the paramedics out of her office. Frank shoots a quick text to the nanny and leaves his wife's office, stepping into an awaiting vehicle. From what he can gather from Claire, she started bleeding about a half an hour before he was notified. She thought it was her water breaking and didn't want to alarm anyone until she saw the blood. When her meeting was over, she had her executive assistant call the paramedics and her doctor.

When he arrives at the hospital shortly after his wife, Frank is directed to a private room. Claire is in the process of changing into a hospital gown. He watches her take off the dress, wincing at all the blood caked on her inner thighs and down her legs.

"Don't you want to wash that off first?" Frank asks, referring to the blood. Claire shakes her head and motions for him to help tie her gown in the back.

"There's no time. They want to do an emergency ultrasound." Claire's voice sounds detached. She always processes situations internally. It's difficult to assess how she's really feeling.

Frank watches her slip under the flimsy sheet and finds a chair to scoot next to her bed. He gently pushes up her gown so her rounded abdomen is peeking through. His hand skims over it, lightly pushing down on the lower right side where the baby was earlier.

"Anything?" Claire bites her lips and averts his eyes.

"No."

He removes his hand when a nurse comes in with an ultrasound machine. Little words are exchanged as the nurse boots up the machine and puts the probe on Claire's stomach. Frank watches his wife watch the screen. He's afraid they've come this far in her pregnancy just to have the baby taken from them. Claire was secretly looking forward to welcoming their son, while Frank was still trying to remain pragmatic about it. If their fight caused harm or worse to their child, Frank isn't sure Claire will forgive him.

"I'm going to get the doctor," the nurse says to Frank and Claire. The couple each nod and the nurse quietly exits the room. Frank hands his wife a tissue, which Claire refuses.

"The baby is dead, isn't it?" Claire asks Frank in a defeated voice.

"I think so," Frank whispers. There couldn't have been a good reason as to why the nurse fled the room. Claire nods and purses her lips together. She got what she wanted when the votes for her maternity bill were secured, and this is the price she's paying for it. Maybe Annette was right all along—her and Frank weren't meant to have a second child.

Frank reaches over to clasp Claire's hand.

"It's a shame," Claire begins. Frank tilts his head. "After all we've done, this is how it ends."

Frank is interrupted by the doctor coming in with the same nurse as before. The older man grabs the probe sitting on the machine and presses it to Claire's stomach.

"There he is," the doctor states. He turns the screen more so Claire and Frank have a better view. "We need to get him out. Now. He's in distress. I'm having an operating room prepped as we speak."

A ghost of a smile washes over Claire's face. Frank bites back a sigh of relief.

"I'm only thirty-four weeks. Can't this wait six more weeks?" Claire asks. She isn't ready to have the baby today. The doctor puts the probe back and wipes his glasses with the lapel of his lab coat.

"Mrs. Underwood, this can't wait six more hours. If you want your son to survive, we need to do this now."

"I understand," Claire says. Frank squeezes her hand. The doctor stands up and talks quietly to the nurse.

"I need to prep the OR. The surgical team will be by in a moment to start an IV and take you upstairs to the operating room. Mr. President?"

Frank tears his eyes away from Claire to look at the elderly doctor.

"Yes?" Frank questions.

"You should come with me. You are going to want to suit up. You can meet your wife in the operating room in about ten minutes."

"Sure." Frank stamps a kiss to Claire's temple. "I'll see you in there."

"Go." Claire practically pushes him out of the room. There are nurses and other staff waiting to do what's necessary to get her into the operating room. She doesn't want to delay in case the baby doesn't have the luxury of time.

"Here, Mr. President." The same nurse who performed Claire's ultrasound hands him a yellow gown. "It's personal protective equipment. You also need gloves and a mask."

"Thank you." Frank accepts all of the items from the nurse and starts putting them on. The nurse finishes washing her hands and points to the swinging double doors that Frank will eventually walk through.

"Your wife should be ready in about five minutes. Make sure you wash your hands really well."

While Frank is scrubbing his hands, he thinks about the stark contrast this delivery is from Emily's. When Claire was in labor, they were mostly left alone while she battled through contraction after contraction. It was only when Claire was ready to push that the doctor finally came in.

"_I think…" Claire lets out a deep breath, "I think it's over." She collapses against the pillows and lets the contraction work its way out of her body. Frank feels her grip on his hand start to loosen._

"_Do you want the ice chips or the washcloth?" Frank asks. Throughout this process, he's been torn between being a vocal cheerleader or silent observer—sometimes he's both. When he sees the pain starting to swallow Claire whole, he offers light words of encouragement._

"_The washcloth," Claire mumbles. She holds out her hand to accept it but is surprised when her husband lightly blots the sweat off her forehead mostly covered by her blonde bangs. "Do you want to switch?" _

_Frank chuckles as he shakes his head. His wife is doing better than he ever could. _

"_I think you have this handled." Claire readjusts the pillows on her bed and glances at the machine monitoring her contractions. _

"_I did some research on what this would feel like." Frank lifts his eyebrows. They never went to a parenting or birthing class, nor did they have a plan for what would happen during labor. He wanted to leave it up to his wife on how she wanted to give birth. "All of those women were red and sweaty—grunting like animals. They looked…_weak. _I told myself I wouldn't be one of them." _

"_And you're not." Frank reminds her. He couldn't imagine Claire on all-fours writhing around in pain. She is stronger than that._

"_I know, but this…" Claire shifts in bed and reaches for Frank's hand. "This hurts." She winces and Frank squeezes her hand. _

"_Luckily, you only have to do this once." _

When Frank steps into the operating room, Claire is laying flat. Her blonde bob is secured behind a blue surgical cap. There's a curtain splitting her body in half. Frank momentarily glimpses over, seeing her stomach covered in a dark orange liquid.

A surgical team is already assembling their instruments. Frank is instructed to sit next to Claire. She holds out her IV-ridden hand for him to grab. His wife appears calmer than before, and Frank wonders if she was given something to relax her.

"Hi," Frank says to her. Claire turns her head towards him, a grin pulling at her lips at the sight of her husband gowned up.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Underwood?" the doctor asks Claire. He's holding up his scalpel to show her.

"Yes."

Claire and Frank remain quiet as the surgical team operate behind the curtain.

"Do you want me to look?" Frank asks his wife. Claire shakes her head.

"No. Did Tom come up to babysit Emily?" Frank furrows his eyebrows at the abrupt mention of their daughter.

"He did. I'm sure our daughter is playing the president right now, and he's the speechwriter," Frank mentions. Emily likes to emulate her parents' positions when she plays. Claire smiles at the thought.

"She'll make a good president someday."

It's weird to be making small talk with her husband after the day they've had. They won't apologize to each other, and she still has to find a way to bridge the gap between momentary amnesty and true forgiveness without forfeiting her maternity bill.

"Okay…he's out," the doctor announces. Claire and Frank wait for the tell-tale cry they remember when Emily made her grand entrance into the world. Except this time, they are met with silence. Nothing.

"Why isn't he crying?" Claire asks. She's hoping her voice doesn't betray her inner panic. Frank stands up and sees a team of nurses circling around the baby. "Francis? What do you see?"

"Hold on, sweetheart." The sentiment escapes his lips without him realizing it. He doesn't want to interfere. There's nothing he would be able to do to help their son that the medical professionals aren't trying.

"I need the bag," a male nurse calls out. An Indian nurse pushes him out of the way while the doctor is barking out different commands.

Claire lifts up her head, but the curtain is obstructing her view. She feels a lump form in her throat.

"Come on, he needs air," the doctor barks. Frank and Claire exchange worried glances. The longer their son is without oxygen, the more he's at risk of dying.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud cry fills the room. Claire closes her eyes and lets out a rattling breath. Frank feels his jaw unclench.

"Mr. President, you can come over and cut the cord," the doctor says. Frank slips his hands out of Claire's and walks over to see their child. The baby is a mirror image of him—dark hair, dark eyes. He's crying and swatting at anyone coming within arm's reach.

Frank is handed scissors and is instructed how to cut the umbilical cord. He watches the nurse swaddle the baby and accepts him.

"Claire, look," Frank tells his wife. He hands the baby over to Claire, helping her put the baby on her chest.

"Does he have a name?" The doctor questions. Frank and Claire haven't settled on a name.

"Not yet," Claire says for the both of them. She doesn't want to decide on anything this important until she and Frank can talk things through.

The baby coos against Claire's chest and Frank grins at the sight. He leans forward and stamps a kiss to her lips.

"I love you," Frank whispers. Fighting or not, it doesn't change the way he feels about Claire.

"I love you too," Claire says.

"We need to run some tests on the baby and get you to a room, Mrs. Underwood," the doctor tells the couple. A nurse comes by to collect the baby from Claire.

"I have some calls to make. I'll meet you in the room," Frank tells Claire. He waits until she nods and leaves the operating room.

Frank goes into the hospital lobby with Secret Service to make sure the nanny came to relieve Tom. Then, he calls Seth to release a statement announcing the baby's arrival. People were speculating why an ambulance was called to the White House earlier.

By the time he gets to Claire's room, his wife is in bed, holding the baby.

"Hey," Frank says. Claire looks up and waves her husband in.

"They are letting him stay in here for a little bit." Claire informs him. "He looks like you." Frank sits in a chair by her bed. "Do you want to hold him?" He stands up and leans over to accept the baby from her. Claire moves to the other side to allow Frank to partially sit on the bed next to her.

The two of them sit in silence for a while, looking at their child. Claire gently pushes the blanket down when the baby abruptly moves his arm across his body in an effort to push her away.

"He acts like you too," Claire comments. Frank chuckles and watches their son squirm in his arms. "Francis?"

"Hmm?" He turns to look at his wife, noticing how serious she looks.

"You haven't said a word." Frank shakes his head, knowing what Claire is referring to.

"No." Claire slowly nods her head.

"Where does that leave us?" Frank gently hands their son back to Claire and stands up.

"I'm glad you and the baby are okay." He leans over and kisses her cheek. Claire understands what he didn't say: _I'm glad you two are okay, but I don't forgive you. _

"I'll see you tomorrow, then? With Emily?" Claire and Frank are eager to begin the process of introducing their daughter to their new son.

"Of course. Call me if you need anything."

It's after midnight when Frank steps into the residence. He sends the nanny home with a little extra cash in a gesture of gratitude for staying later than usual. Then, Frank quietly goes into Emily's room to check on her. The little girl is fast asleep with her bunny tucked under her arm. Frank goes into Claire's bathroom to change into his pajamas and then falls asleep in her bed.

"Daddy! Wake up!" Emily exclaims the next morning. She ran into her mom's room hoping to see her and the baby. Unfortunately, the only person there was her dad, snoring into the pillow.

"Em," Frank groans. He tries to throw the blanket over his head, but his daughter stops him. Emily is bouncing next to him, holding her bunny.

"Daddy, you are the president. You need to wake up," Emily reminds him in a tone that mirrors her mother's. Frank shoots Emily a glare and rolls over so he's facing her in bed.

"You are correct. I am awake."

"Where's Mommy? Did she have the baby?" Emily asks. She cranes her neck to double check that her mother isn't in the bathroom.

"She did. He came last night. They need to stay at the hospital for a few days because your mom had surgery and the doctors' want to make sure your brother is healthy before he comes home."

Emily frowns at the mention of her mother and brother being absent. She thought they would be home right away.

"So…I won't get to see them?" Emily asks. Her face transforms into a cherubic expression that gets Frank every time.

"We can see them when you get home from school today. I'll pick you up and we can go to the hospital." Emily beams at the thought. "Get going. I have a lot of work to do and you can't be late."

Emily scampers into her bedroom to throw on her school uniform. Frank gets himself dressed and they meet in the kitchen for breakfast. He watches Secret Service leave with his daughter and then heads to the Oval as usual.

"Em, remember, you have to be careful. You can't hold your brother by yourself unless your mom or I are right next to you. Okay?" Frank reminds Emily. They are in the elevator heading up to Claire's room. Claire texted him that their son did well overnight and is allowed longer stays in her room.

"I got it," Emily affirms. Frank is secretly anxious regarding how this meeting is going to go. Emily has been the center of attention for six years. Today, that changes. The little girl will have to get used to sharing her parents—especially her father.

When Frank and Emily step off the elevator, they can see Claire through the glass wall of her hospital room. She has her back to them and is hunched over with her fists on the bed. Frank frowns and glances down at Emily. The little girl hasn't noticed yet, which buys Frank time.

"Em, I need to go see if your mom is okay. Stay out here with the agents, and _don't _go anywhere." Frank gives a clipped nod to the agents accompanying them and walks into Claire's room. He slides open the door and winces at the agonizing look on his wife's face. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Claire sighs when she senses his hand on her back. She nods slightly and allows him to help her carefully sit down on the bed.

"I went for a walk and I think I overdid it," Claire admits. The doctor told her that walking will help heal her faster.

"I don't see any blood," Frank tells her. With her permission, he carefully lifts her gown to confirm none of her stitches have been pulled.

"Is Emily here?" Claire asks.

"She's right outside. Where's the baby?" Frank asks. Claire gestures to the bassinette on the other side of her bed.

"He's sleeping, so I went for a quick walk." Without work to keep her occupied, Claire's been going a little stir-crazy while she waits to be released. She's been trying to walk while the baby sleeps.

"I'll get our girl," Frank says. He wants to get this over with so he can go back to the White House. Since he was absent for most of the afternoon yesterday, the work piled up. Claire reaches over to extract the baby from the bassinette.

"Hi!" Emily exclaims when she walks into the room with her father behind her. She races over to the bed and hops into the chair her dad was sitting in the day before. "Mommy, he looks like me!"

"I think he looks like your dad, too," Claire comments. Emily leans over to stare at her brother. She frowns at the baby sleeping in Claire's arms.

"He's not doing anything," Emily states. Frank laughs at whatever his daughter had pictured in her mind regarding the baby. "What's his name?"

"We don't know yet," Frank answers. He's standing behind Emily, creating some distance between him and Claire. Truthfully, he wouldn't be here if it weren't for their daughter wanting to meet the new baby.

"What?" Emily asks in disbelief. "Why not?"

Claire skims her teeth over her bottom lip. She isn't going to tell Emily the real reason—her and Frank are fighting, and they haven't quite made up yet.

"We haven't picked one we liked yet," Frank explains. Emily frowns and moves to sit next to Claire in order to get a better view of her brother.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Claire asks. She doesn't want her daughter to feel left out. A lot has changed in a short amount of time for their family.

Emily taps her chin and looks down at the baby. She tilts her head and shrugs her shoulders. Frank moves closer to sit in the unoccupied seat by Claire.

"No. When he is going to do something?" Emily asks. Frank laughs at the hint of boredom in Emily's voice. This offers him the perfect excuse to leave.

"Okay…Em, let's go," Frank suggests. Emily was expecting an immediate playmate. Instead, she got a sleeping baby that didn't hold her attention.

Emily gives her mom a gentle hug goodbye, waves to the baby and goes over to stand by her father.

"Did they say when you are coming home?" Frank asks Claire.

"A few days. I'll let you know," Claire offers. Frank nods and turns to leave, but Emily yanks on his blazer.

"You didn't say goodbye," Emily says. She points to her mom and brother. Frank internally rolls his eyes and walks over to his wife, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Claire smirks at how pleased Emily looks with herself.

Four days later, Frank is holding the baby while Claire is gathering what little stuff she brought to the hospital with her. She had Frank bring her a new outfit and disposed of the blood-soaked dress she came to the hospital in. Frank hasn't been by to visit since he brought Emily a few days ago.

"Do you have everything?" Frank asks while still looking at the baby.

"Yes." Claire manages a meager smile at how distracted her husband is by their son. She approaches him and rests a hand on his shoulder. He carefully hands the baby back to her and points to the wheelchair the nurse had sent up to Claire's room.

"I think you are supposed to sit in that," Frank tells her. Claire frowns at the thought of being wheeled out of the hospital. "We are going out the back so nobody will see you."

"Fine." Claire concedes and sits in the wheelchair while holding the baby. Frank walks next to her while one of the agents push her in the chair.

When they get back to the residence, Claire takes a shower and puts the baby down for a nap. Frank goes back to the Oval. He frowns at the stack of papers building up on his desk. With Claire on a "soft" maternity leave for the next month or so, he has to rely on their speaker of the house to step up in order to alleviate the workload. Claire will still attend important meetings at her discretion.

"What is this?" Frank asks Seth an hour later. He's holding up a piece of paper that he's skimmed before calling in his communications director.

"It's your remarks your wife had me draw up to endorse Jacobs' drilling bill…" Seth's voice trails off when he sees how enraged Frank is becoming. "She didn't tell you?" The communications director isn't used to the president and vice president not being on the same page about something.

"No." Frank snatches up the piece of paper and storms out of the Oval. He stomps up the stairs to the residence, frantically looking for his wife. Claire is sitting on the couch, attempting to the feed the baby with her laptop resting on the table across from her. "What the hell is this?"

Claire grabs the piece of paper from her husband with her free hand. His balled-up fist and lip biting are indications as to how angry Frank is with her.

"What does it look like?" Frank glares at her. He's trying not to yell so he won't scare the baby.

"I told you, I wasn't comfortable with this. I'm not doing it, Claire." Claire raises her eyebrows at her husband.

"Francis, you have to!" Frank whips around to face her.

"This was _your _deal. This is _your _sword to fall on. Not. Mine." He draws out every word and glances down at their son with his eyes half-closed drinking from the bottle.

"The endorsement would mean more coming from you." Claire hopes Frank interprets that exactly how she meant it: he's the president and he has more power than her. He made it abundantly clear how he perceives their power dynamic during their fight—and she hasn't forgotten.

"Find another way," Frank tells her and starts to walk away. Claire holds her hand out, effectively stopping him.

"I can't. The vote is the day after tomorrow." The vote was supposed to be the day after Claire gave birth, but as a courtesy to the First Couple, the House rescheduled it to give them some time to regroup. "If you don't do what you have to do, _for us, _then Jacobs' pulls his votes and the maternity bill will die in the House. I put too much work into the bill to see it fail. We_ both _have_._" Frank and Claire momentarily stare each other down, waiting for the other to give in.

Claire is asking Frank to put his anger towards her aside and look at the bigger picture. Frank thinks by doing that, it means he forgives her—which he certainly doesn't.

"I'll think about it."

"Francis." Her voice is filled with exasperation. Her stubborn husband would let their months of tireless work go to waste to prove a point.

"I said I'll think about it." Frank exits the residence without another word. Claire lets him go. They are going to be in an endless state of conflict until Claire can provide an amicable solution that will achieve both of their goals.

"I hope you don't get your daddy's stubbornness," Claire whispers to the baby. She reaches over to pick up her cellphone and dial Doug.

"Yes?" Doug asks.

"Doug, it's me. I need you to dig up what you can on Senator Jacobs'. Thanks." Claire hangs up the phone and finishes feeding the baby.

The next day, Claire invites herself into the Oval Office. Frank is preoccupied with speaking to someone on the phone. She sits in a chair across from his desk and waits for him to finish talking. They haven't seen much of each other since their second fight. He came back to the residence after she fell asleep and they traded off waking up with the baby, so they didn't have to run into one another.

Frank frowns at Claire sitting at his desk. He doesn't feel the need to talk to her because he's aware of why she came down to see him. Claire realizes he's running out the clock on Jacobs' endorsement, and is going to yell at him for it.

"Hi," Frank says. "Where's the baby?" Claire taps the file she's holding in her hand on the edge of his desk.

"With the nanny. I needed to get some things done in my office."

"Why are you in mine then?" Frank doesn't care that he sounds less-than-inviting.

"Because I have a compromise I think you will be open to hearing."

No matter what, Claire will not apologize for striking a deal that will secure the passing of her bill. However, she doesn't want the chasm she caused between her and Frank to grow wider. They need to focus on their son and finishing out Frank's presidency in a way that will help her secure the nomination next cycle. They won't be able to do that if they are constantly at odds with each other.

"Okay…I'm listening." Claire hands him the file Doug was able to collect on Jacobs' in the short amount of time she gave him. Frank puts his glasses on and peruses it. His chocolate eyes widen slightly at what he is reading. "You're sure about this?"

"I trust Doug. This will give us the out that we want." Frank flips over a piece of paper.

"His family's oil refinery is being investigated by the FBI?" Frank asks in shock. Claire nods.

"For all kinds of things: fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. That's why he's been shoving his drilling bill down everyone's throats. If it passes, it promises a fivefold profit that will get them out of debt."

"But if it doesn't…" Frank muses. "This is good, Claire. I can use this." He offers her a genuine smile that she returns. "I'm still not endorsing his bill. I can't…especially now." Frank holds his hand up to Claire's objections. She pauses and thinks about the ramifications for them.

"There's no guarantee that he will still vote for the maternity bill, Francis."

"We give him two choices: either he lets his bill die in favor of ours, or I will see to it that the full power of the FBI charges him with anything and everything they can think of."

Claire smirks at the thought of her husband talking to Jacobs'—laying out what they know and giving him options that really aren't options at all.

"The vote is tomorrow. You need to get a meeting on the books right away." Claire stands up and leaves the file with him.

"I'll have Doug reach out." Claire pauses near the door of the Oval.

"Why are you so against Jacobs' bill by the way?" Frank leans back in his desk chair.

"Because I hate the son of a bitch." Claire shakes her head and approaches her husband's desk, leaning on it.

"That happened over six years ago, Francis. You need to get over it." Claire didn't think of Jacobs' drunkenly making a passing at her while she was pregnant with Emily until now. Frank was not too pleased when Jacobs' hands landed on her ass in front of members of Congress and half of the Senate at a fundraiser. Not only did Frank see Claire cutting a deal behind his back as a sign of betrayal, but she did it with someone he despises.

"I appreciate you…looking into this for me," Frank softly admits. Claire didn't have to potentially ruin her chances of letting her bill pass, but she did it as a gesture of goodwill.

"Of course. It's us against them, remember?" Frank watches Claire gently squeeze his hand. "Let me know how it goes."

"Hold your arm a little higher, Emily," Claire instructs. Emily is holding her brother for the first time.

"Like this?" Emily asks. She hoists her arm up, allowing the baby's head to be more at an angle.

"Yes…you won't break him, honey." Claire swallows her laughter at how nervous her daughter looks holding the baby. Emily relaxes the tiniest bit as Frank walks into the living room. "How did it go?"

Emily points down to her brother resting contently in her arms. Frank winks at her and slips off his blazer.

"Good. He won't push for an endorsement. I think I made it abundantly clear what would happen if he did." Claire gives a half-nod.

"You made sure he's still going to deliver the votes though, right?" Frank gives her a sideways glance.

"Yes. The bill will pass tomorrow, as promised." Claire lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Francis." He glides his hand down her arm, watching a smile bloom on her lips.

"Ew!" Emily exclaims.

"What?" Claire asks their daughter. Emily practically thrusts the baby at Claire.

"The baby threw up on me! Daddy, you have to take Sam back!" Frank furrows his eyebrows at Emily assigning a name to their son.

"Sam?" Frank asks Claire. Claire shrugs and accepts the baby back from Emily.

"I thought about it the other day and mentioned it in front of Emily. What do you think?"

Claire and Frank didn't pour over names in a baby book like other expecting couples. If one of them thought of a name, they would suggest it and see if the other person likes it or not. They did the same with naming Emily.

"I like it…Sam…Samuel." Frank mulls the name over in his head. He doesn't have a strong opinion on their son's name—as long as he isn't named after his father, Calvin.

"Samuel _Francis _Underwood. It sounds presidential…don't you think?" Claire asks.

Their daughter's middle name is after Claire's and she wanted to continue the tradition with their son.

"I think it does," Frank agrees. He reaches over to gently skim his fingertip over Sam's cheek.

"Good…I'll put it on the birth certificate tomorrow."

Claire sits on the couch and deposits Sam in a bouncy seat. Frank sits next to his wife while Emily goes to change into her pajamas.

"You do realize that this is only the first step right? The bill has to pass in the Senate, and Annette can still prevent that from happening." Frank gently reminds her. He thinks she's celebrating prematurely. Claire rests her head on her shoulder while looking at Sam slowly drifting off to sleep.

"I'm expecting that. It doesn't worry me."

**A/N I thought about ending it here, but I still have a few more chapters left in me. Next, I jump ahead a little bit. (Sorry, babies are incredibly**__**boring to write.) Claire and Frank are going to be **_**really**_** struggling with being parents again and vice president/president. I think that will be fun to explore. Thanks for reading and don't hesitate to leave your thoughts and suggestions on the way out! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi! I promise I haven't forgotten about this fic. I don't really have anything new to say—besides the usual. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and ideas on this chapter and previous ones. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these weird times. Hopefully, this chapter helps brighten your day.**

**Chapter Nine**

"Well…no…I do get where you are coming from Senator," Frank says into the phone while rolling his eyes. He's halfheartedly trying to persuade a conservative senator to help pass Claire's maternity bill. So far, the bill successfully made it through the House. In a few short weeks, the bill will once again be put to a vote in a mostly Republican-controlled Senate.

"Listen, Mr. President, I understand what your wife is attempting to do with this bill, but the funding to these women groups sends the wrong message to my constituents. I'm sure you can understand." Unfortunately, Frank does. He's been in this similar position too many times to count during his tenure in Congress. It would help immensely if Claire were on this phone call like she was supposed to be to help address this senator's concerns. "Where is the vice president anyway?"

_Great question, _Frank thinks to himself.

"She got tied up with another meeting this morning," Frank lies. "Look, Bill, there's got to be an amicable solution here. What would make you want to vote yes on this?"

"Simply put Mr. President, we would need the money to be reallocated to another area. The twelve-week family leave term can stay, but for me and my committee to even consider voting yes, the funding can't be tied to these _welfare-like groups._"

"I think we can work together on this, Bill. Let me talk to Claire and we will set up a meeting sometime soon. Thank you." Frank exchanges pleasantries and hangs up.

Claire won't be happy that he partly agreed to gutting some of the funding, but he's told her time-and-time again to not expect to get everything she asked for. If it takes some sacrifice on their part, she needs to be open to hearing what the other side wants.

Frank presses his finger on the intercom button of his phone, connecting it to one of his many assistants.

"Has the vice president gotten in yet?" Frank asks.

"No, sir. We will send her to your office when she arrives," a female voice says on the other end.

"Thank you."

Frank walks over to his old voting board Claire managed to find for him. Annette Shepherd has slowly been poaching various senators and turning them against Frank and Claire. They need to come up with more of a comprehensive strategy if they want the bill to pass.

After several meetings, Frank still hasn't heard anything from Claire. He pushes back one of his briefings and walks upstairs to the residence. Claire is working from the couch with Sam sleeping on her chest.

"Hey, where have you been?" Frank asks. He leans over and kisses her cheek before running his hand down Sam's back. His son stirs, moving his head deeper into the curve of Claire's neck.

"Here. Why?" Frank moves some files and sits down next to her on the couch.

"You didn't call into that meeting with Bill earlier."

"I know. I figured you could handle it. Sam threw up all over me right before the meeting was supposed to start. I think he's sick, Francis." Frank reaches out and feels the baby's forehead with the back of his hand.

"Where's the nanny?" Frank asks. Now that Sam is almost four months old, Claire has gone back to working full days and relieving the nanny shortly before dinner.

"I think she's the one who gave this to him. How did it go?" Frank leans back into the couch cushions.

"Not good. Bill doesn't want the funding to go to 'women's groups.'" Claire frowns at Frank's explanation.

"Did you tell him the money is going to research and impact studies?" Based on Frank's expression, Claire would guess he didn't convey the message.

"It doesn't matter, Claire. I told him we would be open to having a discussion about…" Frank trails off as Claire is shaking her head. "Look, sweetheart, this bill will not succeed without Republicans on our side. We have to be willing to give them something they can live with."

"I'll talk to Bill."

Emily bounces into the living room a minute later, cutting their mini-argument short.

"Hey Daddy!" Emily exclaims. She glances briefly at her mother holding her brother and offers a tiny smile. For the most part, Emily has been hot-and-cold with the baby. Some days, Sam has Emily's full attention and she wants to help however she can. Others, she could care less about her sibling, and asks her father to send him back.

"Keep your voice down, Emily. Your brother is sleeping," Claire reminds her daughter. Emily glares at Claire. Frank notices the gesture and shoots the six-year-old a warning look. He tries to take Emily off Claire's hands whenever he can—which is not often. Frank's been trying to shoulder the workload of the president and vice president since Sam's been born.

"Em, do as your mother says," Frank gently reminds her. Emily has been more defiant lately, choosing to teeter on the edge of what Claire and Frank deem acceptable behavior. She's smart enough to know when to rein it in so she doesn't get into too much trouble with her parents.

"Fine. Daddy, can I come to the Oval with you?" Emily asks while batting her eyelashes. Frank gives a sideways look to Claire who shrugs. It's up to him whether he wants to keep breaking their rule of not letting Emily interfere with their work.

"Not today, Em. I have too much work to do. You can come right after school for a little bit soon." Frank comprehends this is a weird transition time for their family, and it's starting to affect Emily. He would rather hang out with their daughter then with the baby. Claire is better equipped to handle Sam than him.

"Go get your homework done and you can help me with dinner." Claire tells Emily. She wants to speak to Frank alone before he runs off to the Oval again. Emily scampers off to her bedroom and shuts the door behind her. "I don't like the way she's been acting lately."

"Claire, she had our full attention for six years. It's going to take some time for her to adjust."

"Francis…" her voice trails off. Frank raises his eyebrows, knowing his wife needs to get something off her chest.

"What?" Claire lifts Sam higher on her shoulder and brushes a kiss to his forehead.

"Nothing. I forgot what I was going to say. Let me know if I need to speak to Bill personally." Frank's eyebrows shoot together at Claire's abrupt attempt at redirecting their conversation.

"I'll be home after dinner."

Claire watches Frank leave with a heavy sigh. She gently puts Sam in his baby seat and grabs her phone off the armrest of the couch.

Later that night, when Frank gets back to the residence, the lights to the kitchen and living room are turned off. He deposits his briefcase and blazer on the recliner and walks across the hall. Claire is hovering outside of Emily's room. He comes up behind her, gently resting his hand on her shoulder. Claire almost immediately steps out of the gesture. Frank drops his hand to his side.

"Emily's been trying to play with Sam for the past hour," Claire whispers to her husband. "I think she's supposed to be you, and Sam is supposed to be me."

Frank and Claire watch Emily talk to Sam about a bill, using snippets of past conversations she's overheard between her parents. The six-year-old notices her parents watching her and scowls.

"Sam isn't playing with me," Emily complains.

"Honey, Sam is too little to be a good playmate. All he wants to do right now is chew on things," Claire patiently explains. She's had this conversation with Emily a few times. It's still not clicking for the little girl.

"Fine, I'll go to the Oval and he can stay home with the kids. Like you do, Mommy." Frank sees Claire stiffen beside him. He can tell Emily's comment impacted her more than it should—although he's not sure why.

"Em, I think it's time for your bath." Frank watches Claire wordlessly scoop Sam up and disappear into her bedroom. Emily quickly undresses and gets herself into the tub without her father's help.

Meanwhile, Claire is feeding Sam his nighttime bottle and giving him some medication before he goes down for a few hours. She can't shake Emily's remark earlier. Of course her daughter didn't mean anything by it, but Claire's uncomfortable with the way Emily perceives her and Frank's dynamic.

She wants Emily to see her as the vice president—someone who spearheads a maternity bill through Congress—not someone who merely 'stays at home with the kids.' Claire refuses to be a stay-at-home mother. Lately, she's been struggling to find a balance between work and home. Mostly due to the fact that her husband is always at work, which forces her to be at home.

Frank pokes his head into Claire's bedroom after Emily is asleep. Despite the baby being born four months ago, he hasn't slept in his wife's bed again since she asked him to sleep in the study when she was pregnant. He notices the throw pillows are still sitting on what used to be his side of the bed.

"I think you should sleep in the study again tonight, Francis," Claire tells him.

"It's been more than five months, Claire." Frank doesn't want to push, but he wants to hear her reasoning behind it.

"Sam's fever is still pretty high. He's going to be fussy all night." Frank grunts. What his wife is saying is partially true—it's just not the full explanation.

"Hmmm…" Frank mumbles. Claire looks at him over the rim of her reading glasses. "Last time, you were the one who was sick."

Claire absorbs her husband's comment for the dig that it was. They've been _off _these past few months. She's been silently punishing him for not helping out more with Sam, and he's been doing the same because she isn't fully on-point with the maternity bill. What they don't realize is, one won't work without the other. Their marriage will continue to recede until they reach a compromise. Like it did the last time.

"Goodnight, Francis."

"Goodnight."

Frank walks out of her bedroom and into his study, roughly shutting the door behind him. Claire momentarily considers going after her husband. She promised herself she would talk to him instead of not letting him sleep beside her—something she didn't do before their separation.

_Frank comes into her bedroom asking her to review his remarks on America Works, a new jobs program he's trying to create. She makes some revisions prior to voicing her concerns about her newfound position as ambassador to the United Nations._

"_The resolution?" Frank asks. He stands next to her while she's laying with her feet outstretched on her bed. _

"_Just some last-minute hand-holding, but I think we'll get there." Frank sits on the edge of the bed, his legs brushing up against hers._

"_I have complete confidence in you." He gently rubs her thigh. "Do you like this room?" _

"_It's fine." Claire takes off her glasses. She has a feeling as to where this conversation is headed. Frank has not-so-subtlety hinted at his desire to sleep in the same bed as her since they got into the White House. She's been hesitant–and she's not sure why._

"_You know, I haven't spent the night here yet. Maybe I could—"_

"_My plane leaves at seven and I promised Emily I would see her before I leave. I should probably get some sleep." Frank nods, having received the message. _

"_You watch the news tomorrow. Should be fun." Frank stands up, wanting to create some distance between him and Claire. _

"_I will." _

"_Goodnight." Claire closes her glasses slowly as she watches him leave._

The next day, Frank is being briefed by the Joint Chiefs when his cellphone buzzes in his pocket. He extracts it and slides his glasses on. It's a text from Claire. _Need you, now._

"Excuse me…" Frank says without realizing it. The older woman speaking immediately stops and everyone turns to the president. "I'm sorry, we are going to have to reschedule. Something just came up."

The Joint Chiefs file out without any pushback. Frank scoops his blazer off the chair and quickly heads up to the residence. Claire is already waiting for him in the living room, looking slightly more put-together than he has seen lately. She's wearing a black pencil skirt with a white button-up dress shirt instead of the silk pajama sets she wears around the residence.

"Hey, I came as soon as I could. Is Sam alright?" He's assuming her text had something to do with their son, who has been running a fever since yesterday. Claire nods and holds out her arm so he can help her with securing a watch on her wrist.

"He's fine. The fever is still there, but it's low-grade." Frank tilts his head. He's confused as to the urgent text from his wife. "I have a meeting I need to go to. I need you to stay here for a bit."

"Where's the nanny?"

"Still sick, I think." Frank hands Claire a piece of paper that fell from one of her folders.

"Claire, I can't just push back my afternoon at a moment's notice." Claire doesn't seem to hear him as she gathers up her remaining files.

"Well, I can't not go to this meeting." Frank reaches to place his hands on her shoulders.

"Is it Bill? I can go for you instead." Claire looks insulted at the suggestion.

"No, it's with another Republican. I can handle a simple meeting, Francis."

"I wasn't suggesting that you couldn't, Claire." _What is going on with you? _Frank asks himself. He wants to ask _her _that question, but neither of them have the time to get into it.

She leans forward and stamps a feeble kiss to his cheek.

"There is a bottle in the fridge. He should be up soon." Claire yells over her shoulder as she leaves the residence. Frank yanks his tie off his collar and tosses it on the couch.

Not more than thirty minutes later, Frank hears Sam stir from his bassinet in Claire's bedroom. He quickly wraps up his call with Doug and goes into the bedroom. Admittedly, he hasn't spent much one-on-one time with Sam since he's been born.

"Hey," Frank says to Sam as he carefully lifts him into his arms. The baby coos and Frank brings him out into the living room to feed him. It's been a while since he's taken care of a baby. He thought he and Claire were done with this phase after they had Emily. Sadly, he was wrong.

Emily comes home from school a little while later and joins her father on the couch after grabbing her snack. Frank is holding Sam as he drifts off to sleep while skimming some documents.

"Hey Daddy," Emily says. She offers him a cracker, which Frank declines.

"Hey Em, how was school?" Emily shrugs and shoves a peanut butter cracker into her mouth. She glances over at Sam, dropping a kiss on the crown of his head.

"Where's Mommy?"

"She's at a meeting." Emily drops her head on her father's arm, given the other arm is occupied by her brother.

"Sam looks like you, Daddy," Emily mumbles. Frank glances down at his son. Claire had the same observation shortly after their son was born.

"You look like your mom. You're lucky. She's beautiful." Frank tells his daughter.

"Not my hair!" Emily objects while lightly tugging on her brown ponytail.

"Your mom had long, dark hair when I first met her," Frank argues back.

Claire comes back from her meeting to find Frank holding Sam while talking softly with Emily. She smiles to herself at the sight. Even though her husband claims to hate children, he's a natural at being a father. They both worried about it—she, when she was pregnant with Emily, and him when she was pregnant with Sam—but they are doing the best they can with two kids. They are struggling with how to co-exist with each other.

"Mommy, Daddy said you had dark hair, but I think he's wrong," Emily says. Claire leaves her files on the dining room table and walks over to the couch. She sits on the other side of Emily instead of by her husband.

"I did. Remember when your dad and I got married again and I had brown hair?" Emily nods. She missed the connection as to why Claire dyed her hair dark around that time.

"How did your meeting go?" Frank asks Claire.

"It was fine. I'm going to start dinner. You can go back to the Oval now if you want." _Do you want me to go? _Frank asks himself.

"Can I come with, Daddy?" Emily inquires. Frank gently sets Sam down in a nearby baby seat. He remembers he did promise the six-year-old she can hang out in his office for a little bit.

"Sure. Is that okay, Claire?" Frank asks his wife.

"Of course. Have fun," Claire directs her comment more at Emily than at Frank. Frank tracks her with his eyes as she picks up Sam and goes into her room, shutting the door behind her.

When Frank and Emily come back, they have a quick dinner before Claire puts the six-year-old to bed. Frank doesn't even bother to ask if he can sleep in her room tonight, he assumes it's already a lost cause. She's acting incredibly similar to how she did right before she left him—and he's not okay with it. His wife insisted they will not survive if they regress into old habits, but she's the one who is pulling away. He's not sure if it's because she's stressed out about the bill, the nanny being sick, or both. Regardless, he doesn't want them to be in this weird state with each other for much longer. 

"Sir, I think you need to look at this," Seth tells Frank during their morning briefing. Seth hands Frank a file with a printed article in it. Frank opens it to find a horribly doctored photo of his wife, looking disheveled. There's a visible stain on her eggshell-colored blouse, her usually-styled blonde bob is unkempt, and her makeup is smudged. She appears to be holding something, but it's not Sam as the caption claims. Frank knows his wife well enough to know she wouldn't allow herself to be photographed like this public.

"Where did you get this?" Frank asks. He crumples it into a ball and throws it in the trash.

"It was emailed to my office by an anonymous account. They want to run it. Tomorrow." Frank bites his lip.

"Of course they want to run it. Where's Claire?" As if on cue, Doug comes in with Claire as she's perusing the article.

"Francis, what is this?" Claire asks. She's gripping the sheet of paper in a balled-up fist. Frank is surprised to see her this angry. Usually, she doesn't let trivial things like this bother her. He reaches over and skims his hand up her back. She leans into his touch instead of recoil away from it like she did yesterday.

"We are shutting it down, don't worry," Frank says to her.

"Where did this come from?" Claire directs her question to Seth and Doug.

"We don't know. We are in the process of trying to figure that out." Doug explains. Claire aimlessly tosses the article towards Frank's trash can. Frank dismisses Seth and Doug so he can talk to Claire privately before their meeting.

"Why are you so upset about this?" Frank asks. Claire averts his gaze. She doesn't have the words to explain how sensitive and exhausted she feels. Her husband wouldn't understand even if she tried.

"We have a meeting to get to," Claire says. Frank drops his hands from her shoulders. Claire walks away from him, towards the door of the Oval.

"Claire," Claire turns at the sound of her husband's voice.

"What?"

"I won't allow you to shut me out again. We are better than this."

"I know. We can talk tonight." Frank swears softly when Claire closes the door behind her.

Frank is the first one to arrive at their meeting with Bill. The senator from Georgia is already waiting in the empty conference room.

"Sir," Bill extends his hand for Frank to shake. Frank obliges and sits in a chair across from him. "Is your wife joining us?"

"She should be here any moment." Frank hopes he isn't lying. Claire has already blown off the younger senator once.

"Mrs. Vice President," Bill says as Claire steps into the room. Frank pushes out a chair for her next to him for her to sit in. Claire shakes the senator's hand and sits next to her husband. "How are you?"

Frank and Claire exchange confused glances. The senator doesn't know them well enough to inquire about their wellbeing.

"Sorry?" Claire asks. The senator smirks and loosens his maroon tie.

"The article…it says you are overwhelmed. Given that you failed to show up at our meeting the other day, I was starting to wonder about your—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Frank interrupts. "Don't disrespect my wife in front of me." The senator holds up his hands, but neither Frank nor Claire are buying his attempt at backpedaling.

"It was Annette, wasn't it? She was the one who fed you the article about my 'inability to cope with my two children.'" Claire says. The blush rising on Bill's neck is a key indicator that Claire's hunch is correct.

"What is she offering you?" Frank asks Bill. The senator rolls his lips together while weighing his options. Making an enemy out of the two most powerful people in this country doesn't seem to be a wise political move if he wants to rise in the ranks.

"She said she could help me get a stimulus package through for my home district. Jobs, infrastructure, tax cuts, you name it. All I had to do was push back on the funding for your bill and help prop up that article."

"What if we can accomplish two things at once?" Claire asks. Frank leans back and lets her work the senator.

"I'm listening," Bill says.

"We reallocate_ some _of the funds as promised. We can help you get your stimulus package through in ways that Annette can't. All you have to do is kill the article and convince your colleagues to vote 'yes' on my bill." Claire's taking her husband's advice and willing to give a little on her terms of the maternity bill.

"I want the funds _publicly _moved away from Planned Parenthood. Other than that, I think we have a deal," Bill says to Claire.

"We have a deal." The three of them stand up to shake hands. Bill leaves the Underwoods' alone. Claire brushes past Frank, putting her hand on his wrist as she exits the conference room. She appreciates him standing up for as well as letting her negotiate the terms of her bill. He could've easily asserted his power as president and chose not to. 

"No, I don't want chicken!" Emily exclaims. Claire is trying to feed herself, Sam, and Emily at the same time. Frank got trapped in a late-night meeting and couldn't come home for dinner.

"Emily, I asked you what you wanted to eat." The six-year-old crosses her arms over her chest. Claire has had enough of her daughter's attitude. "I'm not making you anything else."

Claire watches Emily stubbornly shove a bite of chicken in her mouth. Claire finishes feeding Sam his bottle and starts burping him.

"When's Daddy coming home?" Emily asks.

"I don't know, honey. Probably after you are done with your bath."

"I don't want to take a bath tonight." Claire presses her free hand into her cheek. She doesn't have patience for her daughter's sudden rebellious streak. Hopefully, this is just a phase Emily will grow out of.

"If you don't finish your dinner and take a bath, you are not going to the Oval the next time Daddy asks. And Ian is not coming over for a while."

Emily's mouth flips open to argue, but she decides against it. She begrudgingly clears her plate and heads into her bedroom to get ready for her bath. Claire puts Sam in his basinet, so she can focus her attention on her six-year-old.

"Okay, get dressed. I'll be back in a minute to read you a story," Claire tells Emily after her bath. For the first time tonight, Emily doesn't object. Claire goes to the back staircase of the residence they hardly use unless it's to have a discreet meeting.

Claire sits down on the top stair just as a sob bubbles up her throat and out of her mouth. Frank breezes through the residence while Emily pokes her head out of her room.

"Where's your mom?" Frank asks Emily.

"I don't know. I want her to read me a story."

"Alright. I'll be right back. Watch your brother."

Frank confirms Claire's bedroom is empty, as is his study and the kitchen. He can hear someone crying on the back staircase and knows right away it's his wife.

Claire hears her husband's footsteps coming towards her and quickly wipes her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Frank asks when he sees her. Claire lets out a shaky breath and sniffs into the heel of her hand. He's afraid she won't tell him. And he's not going to sit here all night trying to convince her to. Her reply is paused by the sound of Sam crying echoing through the residence. Claire starts to stand up, but Frank gently puts his hand on her wrist.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Emily calls through the residence.

"Over here, Em!" Frank yells. The six-year-old appears, wondering why her parents are sitting on the steps together. "Can you do me a favor and give Sam a bottle like I taught you the other day? Your mom and I need to talk about something."

Claire tries to hide her face from their daughter. She doesn't want Emily to see her having a breakdown. Emily nods and rushes back into the residence to grab the bottle from the fridge.

"I just…didn't think we would actually have him. I thought I would…miscarry. I don't know how to have two children and do this job. I need you here, Francis." Claire whispers. "I can't do this by myself."

Frank lifts his eyebrows at her. He could remind her that she was the one who wanted a second child and he didn't. He could remind her that he's the president and she's the vice president. But he won't. That's now how they operate.

"You aren't by yourself, Claire." He grabs her hand, gently squeezing it. "We are a team."

"It doesn't feel like we are a team at the moment." Frank nods. He feels the urge to apologize, but Claire wouldn't accept it.

"I know. I promise you…of all the sacrifices you've had to make, raising two children on your own will not be one of them. I will make myself more available."

"Thank you." Frank presses a kiss to her temple. "After Emily was born, I was prescribed anti-depressants."

Claire's never admitted that to anyone—even Frank prior to now. She didn't want him to worry about her following the birth of their daughter.

"I know. I found them in the bathroom cabinet at the townhouse. Is there a reason you never told me about it?" Frank wishes he had a cigarette they could share. He almost gets up to get one, but he'd rather keep this dialogue going.

"I was embarrassed. I never took them. Up until Emily was about six months old, I didn't know…how to be her mother. I was afraid I was doing everything wrong. I thought I was becoming my mother. And I think you feel the same way about Sam."

Something Frank has always appreciated about Claire is her ability to keep him in check. They do it for each other when needed. She's right. He just didn't want to admit it.

"I do. You know what my father did to me. I despised him. I still do." Throughout their marriage, Frank and Claire have had conversations regarding how they want to raise their children in a different way than how they were raised. It still is a sensitive subject for both of them.

"We are better than them, Francis." Frank pinches Claire's cheek.

"I know." Frank feels his scar pulling and shifts in his seat. Claire puts her hand over his and stands up first. He gets to his feet with her assistance and they walk back into the residence. After Emily is asleep, Claire walks into Frank's study where he's working. If he's going to make an effort, then so is she.

"I want you to sleep in my bed tonight. If you want," Claire tells him. She's hovering in the doorway, dressed in her pajamas. Frank takes off his glasses off and throws them on the desk.

"Alright." A smile slides across his face. Claire nods at him and walks into her bedroom. She strips the bed on _both _sides. Then, she puts Sam in his crib in the nursery instead of in the basinet like usual. Frank changes into his pajamas and joins his wife in her bed. 

Two weeks later, Frank is watching on TV while Claire is in the Senate, leading the vote on her maternity bill. He relishes in the barely-there smirk on her face every time a senator votes to pass her bill.

"Senator Williamson from Georgia, how do you vote?" Claire asks Bill, the senator who they made a deal with.

"Aye. Mrs. Vice President." A radiant smile breaks out on Claire's face.

"Well, the aye's have it. Bill HR-7824 passes with a 63-37 vote in favor." Claire bangs the gavel and claps along with the crowd. Frank watches Claire pose for some pictures and talk to a few reporters clamoring to get her reaction to the bill being passed.

After Claire leaves the Capitol, she makes her way back to the White House. Frank is waiting with two glasses of champagne for them to toast. She accepts her flute as soon as she walks in. Frank grabs her hand and takes her over to his desk.

"Congratulations Claire, you made a miracle happen."

"_We _did." They clink glasses and briefly kiss.

"We can have the bill signing ceremony next week. I think you should make a speech." Frank wants this to be Claire's victory—not his. Getting this bill passed increased her electability tenfold. If she hopes to become the next president, she needs to capitalize on this moment however she can.

"Okay, I'll have Tom start working on something right away." Claire polishes off her champagne and puts the empty flute on the coffee table.

"I'm not going to give a speech," Frank reminds Claire. They are about to step into the Rose Garden for the bill signing ceremony.

"Why not?" Claire asks. She thought Tom prepared remarks for her husband as well. Frank steps in front of her and puts his hands on her shoulders.

"This is your moment. You did all the heavy lifting—nine months of it, to be precise." Claire smirks at the mention of them having their son because of this bill.

"This is about _our _administration, Francis. I didn't do this alone. This was your idea." If Frank didn't suggest it to her one day in his office, they wouldn't be here.

"I know, but they should hear it from you. I'm not running again, Claire. You are. Remind them of that." One of their assistants' steps forward to have them walk out into the Rose Garden. Frank grabs Claire's hand and they walk hand-in-hand up to the podium. Claire watches Frank sign the bill and hand her the pen with a kiss. He steps back and applauds her along with everyone else.

"Thank you. I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to make this bill happen, even when I was pregnant and reaping the benefits of it." Claire pauses for polite laughter. "On a more serious note, this maternity bill is a historic day for our country. This bill guarantees twelve weeks paid maternity leave across the board for anyone looking to expand their family. It is the first of its kind–and hopefully not the last. Francis, thank you for your support and encouragement to create this piece of legislation. It is an honor to be your vice president and serve alongside you." Frank winks at her from his place next to her. "And to our children—Emily and Sam—your father and I are doing everything we can to make sure our administration does what we can to make this country better for the two of you. We love you both very much. Thank you. And God bless the United States of America." Frank wraps an arm around Claire's waist as she steps back from the podium.

Later that night, Frank and Claire are watching coverage of the bill signing event on CNN while sharing a cigarette.

"You were extraordinary," Frank tells her. He accepts the cigarette from his wife. She watches him take in a huge drag of the cigarette with a smirk on her face. Frank hands the cigarette back to her.

"What?" Claire asks in amusement. She noticed Frank staring at her while she was inhaling the cigarette.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about the next four years." Frank stands up and takes the cigarette out of Claire's hand, throwing it in the cup sitting on the table between them. "Underwood 2020." He leans over and presses a kiss to her shoulder. "Underwood 2024." The next kiss lands about halfway up her neck. "Underwood 2028." Claire moves her head so his lips land on hers.

"Underwood 2032." Claire whispers and grabs his hand, taking him into her bedroom.

**A/N 2: I know the ending is kind of cheesy, but for some reason it just popped in my head, so I'm going with it! Next chapter is an epilogue of-sorts. I'm only giving a tiny hint away: It's a HUGE scandal that involves Claire. Thank you so much for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the way out. Please stay safe and healthy!**


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